ShugoTenshi
by Joflower
Summary: (Guardian Angel) I was not supposed to exist. Then suddenly I was chosen to become the new God figure & renew the Juunishi bond. But how can a monster like me fulfill such a destiny when I'm surrounded by chaos? God's spirit may not approve of my actions... but a bond formed by chains is anything but a blessing... (New Prologue posted May 26/13, extended summary inside)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

She wondered what it would be like to sparkle in the night sky like a star. Or shine like the moon with her hands reaching down to the world to light up the darkness. She knew of only darkness, anger, fear, and loneliness. Except for that one time...

She leaned against the window frame and sighed, her heart heavy with despair. She could see a world outside of her own—one that was cut off from her completely since birth. She didn't know how big that world was or how many people there were, but she wondered if there were others like her out there—trapped, isolated, _invisible_... Did they stare up at the night sky too and dream of things _beyond_?

A low creak from the floor down the hall caught her attention and she whirled around, her eyes wide open in fear. She'd been caught outside her room... She'd been caught and will be severely punished—until she's black and blue all over again.

The shape of the shadowy figure looked familiar, and he held his hand out to her, as if willing her to stay.

Her heart thundered fretfully in her chest. She'd been caught... She'd been caught outside her room... What would Mistress do to her this time? She didn't want to think about it, but her mind whirled with the realization that she'd been discovered in a place that was not meant for her. She shivered as tiny pinpricks coursed over her body. She could feel the energy starting to rise through her mounting fear.

As he got closer, she recognized him. It had been a few years since her last encounter with him... which she paid dearly for. Her mother made sure of that.

She had to disappear...

She stepped away from the glow of the moonlight streaming through the window and vanished into the shadows. She couldn't risk it again... And she didn't want to hurt him. She had to disappear.

"Please," he begged her gently, stopping in his tracks a few metres away, afraid of scaring her away completely. "Please. Stay. Stay with me a moment. I promise not to tell anyone. Not even Akito-san."

She bit her lower lip, feeling torn between her rising fear and the kindness in his voice. Kindness—although cautious—was all she knew about him from that brief encounter a few years ago. He had been the only one to ever reach out to her without hurting her. He had reached out to her, not only physically, but emotionally as well. He reached out to her with _acceptance_. Her heart swelled with the memory. Tears stung her eyes and she quickly blinked them away. She could feel the energy radiating through her beginning to dissipate slowly.

He stepped forward again, slowly closing the distance between them step by step until he reached the window and peered out into the night. The moonlight illuminated his pale face and softened his reddish-brown hair and eyes. She noticed the same loneliness in his eyes that she felt inside. How could someone so kind look so downtrodden?

"Do you like to look at the stars?"

His whispered voice made her heart flutter, but she remained in the shadows like an apparition, not daring to move. She didn't trust her voice to speak. And as much as she wanted to trust him, she knew she could not risk even that.

"Did you know that the stars form pictures in the night sky?"

Her eyes opened wide with surprise when he said that. "H-How?" she asked in disbelief. She had been looking up at the stars for a few years now—always alone—but never saw any pictures. Intrigued, she inched closer to the window, keeping her eyes fixed on him with distrust.

He smiled gently at her briefly before turning his attention back to the sky. "Yes, all of the stars come together in many different pictures. And they each have a story to tell. Come and see."

She chewed on her lower lip. She wanted to see what pictures he was talking about, but she didn't know if she could trust him, and she was afraid of getting caught in the hallway with him. He didn't look threatening at all, quite the contrary, he looked humble and forlorn. She reached out and touched his hand with the tips of her fingers.

She was right. He was just like her. A broken and lonely soul looking for comfort, warmth, and love in this world engulfed in darkness.

She pressed the palm of her small hand flat on the back of his resting on the window sill and, brushing her long black hair back from her face, stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight with him.

She looked up at the stars in the sky with her large grey eyes as he spoke softly, tracing the little diamonds with his fingertip. She listened in awe to the stories that they carried while holding onto his hand. Stories of a world far beyond her own that she would never see, but could dream about. And through him, she felt as though she was soaring through the night sky, far away from her invisible non-existence... and become one of the stars that would forever shimmer brightly in the night; no longer a nothing... but_ a something—__spectacular_.

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* * *

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**Author's Note: **All will be revealed in the story in due time... and a hint of hope through all the turmoil that will unfold... This story takes place 10 years after the anime and involves an original character. This is AU and **c**_**ontains spoilers from chapter 97 and up! **_This does not mean that everything that happened at the end of the manga has taken place... In this story, the Sohma family is still cursed because _something happened and the happy ending in the manga never happens..._

This story contains humour, drama, mystery, suspense, angst, sweet & tender moments, and a touch of romance all wrapped up in one. There are several plot twists (some involving Kyo... who has a significant role) and all of the Sohma characters will have a place in the story. There is much to come and much to happen...

**Disclaimer: ** I DO NOT OWN FRUITS BASKET (Natsuki Takaya-sama does). Akiten is mine though :D

**Extended Summary: **(Guardian Angel) - Tohru disappeared from their lives, but 10 years later, there was hope. And it came in the form of a small, malnourished girl, born from the womb of God and offering both Juunishi and child a second chance. But she is no ordinary child. A darkness surrounds her that she can barely contain. But God's spirit had chosen her. Shigure's unknown daughter is destined to renew the Juunishi bond... or will she? She can see the chains of the "bond" strangling them and she must decide if she really wants to rule over their lives with misery... or offer them hope and love? However, in doing so, she risks herself and anyone else near her... God may not approve of her actions. (AR, chap 97+ spoilers)


	2. The Child that Didn't Exist

**Chapter 1  
The Child that Didn't Exist**

_It was fluttering away now..._

Akito was 29 years old now. Almost 30. She felt older than that. Much older. She felt older than Ren, her own mother. She could hardly lift a limb now, let alone walk. Talking was all that she could do, and even that wore her out. All she did was sleep, day in and day out. A worm was more active than she was. She lay on her death bed now; weak as a limp blade of grass and as pale as a ghost. Hatori was her constant companion, and when Hatori wasn't present, Shigure was there or Kureno.

Hatori was there now, doing Akito's daily medical examinations that lasted from 7:30 in the morning to 9:00am. Usually. Sometimes they lasted longer because Akito would put up a struggle. She was getting worse and worse and Hatori knew she was just holding onto life by a thread.

The morning sun would not rise this day. No; it would remain hidden behind grey clouds and cast a bleak and terrible light upon the land. Akito's bedroom was shrouded in a pale and dreary light which spread hollow shadows across Akito's thin and boney face.

"Shigure's coming to visit today," stated Hatori as he replaced the IV bag that hung next to Akito's bed. Akito said nothing as Hatori continued on with his work. "You still haven't told him the truth yet, have you?"

Akito made no sound at first. Hatori thought that she wouldn't speak, but she surprised him. "No one knows," she rasped. "Only you, and I… and that _Bitch_."

Hatori nodded slightly as he took a seat at her bedside and held her wrist between his left hand and his two fingers on his right hand. Her arm lay limp in his grasp and her eyes stared straight ahead as always. She felt cold to the touch and the room smelt of death. He released her momentarily; she slowly and painfully turned her head to look at him. It was the first eye contact she had made with him in days. He wasn't prepared for her dead eyes to lock hauntingly on his. A shiver crawled up his spine, but he found he couldn't tear his eyes away from hers.

"I'm going to die soon…" she whispered in her scratchy, raw voice. "Aren't I?"

Hatori wasn't sure how to respond, other than to answer with the truth. "Yes. It will probably be a matter of days."

A strong wind whistled through the partially opened window, and billowed the curtains out like a swelled stomach. Hatori was taken aback when Akito started to laugh. It was a laugh that sounded like a dry cough and jolted her limp form like a seizure.

"It'll be sooner than that."

Hatori's arms prickled and he hurried to finish the remaining examinations. He hoped Shigure would come soon. She was barely hanging onto the thin thread of the string of life. She had one thing to do before she would let herself die. She knew it as well as he did.

Hatori left the room and entered his study. He made note of Akito's declining health and proximity of death. He had only been there for half an hour before Shigure knocked and entered in the front door. Hatori stood up from his chair and walked out of the study. The front door was straight ahead where the hallway opened up into the living room. Hatori stood outside his study for a moment, watching Shigure as he took his shoes off in the entranceway, silently. Hatori come into the hallway from the left and behind him, just down from his study, was Akito's room. Across the hallway from Akito's room, there was a closed door that remained abandoned in constant silence and darkness. The entire house was filled with darkness, until Shigure flicked on a light switch in the entranceway.

"Why is it always dark in here when I come over?" He attempted to joke, but there was no chuckle to follow.

Hatori didn't laugh either, but when did he ever laugh at Shigure's jokes? Not recently, that's for sure….

"Akito wants to see you right away," Hatori said bluntly.

Shigure sighed playfully. "Always skipping with the formalities, aren't we?" Shigure left his shoes in the doorway and stepped in front of Hatori.

"She's in pretty bad shape," explained Hatori as he turned away from Shigure. He started walking the few steps to Akito's room. Shigure followed close on his heel like an obedient puppy dog. Hatori stopped outside Akito's room and looked at Shigure; Shigure peered into the darkness within. "She won't last much longer." Hatori's eyes bore into Shigure's.

"She's dying."

Shigure's face was emotionless as he stared into the room. Hatori closed his eyes painfully as Shigure went softly into Akito's chamber. Hatori remained standing outside with his eyes shut. He didn't know what would happen next. No one in the Sohma family was with child to bring the next "God" figure into the world. The zodiac would become godless for a period of time, and no one knew how long that time would be.

Inside the black room, Shigure sat down in the chair next to the bed where Hatori performed all of Akito's examinations. Akito was sleeping lightly on her back with her head tilted towards him. He studied her sleeping form tenderly. Her hollow cheeks and ghastly white form was frightening… but he saw beyond those suffering qualities. He saw her as the young woman he had fallen in love with years ago. And in her dying form was proof that she was mortal just like everyone else.

He had always loved Akito. Even though he had done foolish, selfish and devious things, he had always loved her like no other.

He gently placed his hand on top her hers that was resting across her stomach over her covers. She was cold and breathing faintly. She was still a child in so many ways. She never had much of a childhood, this he knew. She was born as the Chinese Zodiac's "God Figure" and because she was born as a girl, she was never able to fully live a little girl's life. She was dressed as a boy from the start and everyone was led to believe that she was a boy. No one knew that it was her mother, Ren, who forced this horrible gender-change upon her. Ren manipulated her daughter into believing that since she was born a girl, she would forever be weak. Her precious Juunishi would abandon her upon discovering that their God was nothing more than a pitiful girl, as wretched and insignificant as a bug… one that had to be crushed before it had a chance to spread its wings and fly away.

She had no hope of ever being accepted as a woman.

But then… she was taught to believe that. She didn't know any better. It wasn't her fault.

Shigure sat for a long time at her bedside in deep thought as he watched his beloved Akito sleep innocently. He wished that he could have done so many things in the past… but he was weak too.

Eventually, she began to stir and wake up from her slumber. She didn't open her eyes right away, but her eyelids did flutter a little like the wings of a pale, white dove. He stroked her hand that he was still holding gently with his thumb. This affectionate caress was just enough to open her eyes to the man that sat before her in the dark. He gathered her hand in both of his and pulled it close to his heart. He knew that this would be the last time he saw her alive.

"Hello Akiko," he whispered warmly with a smile. It had been the first time he had shortened her name and added "ko" to the end, but he felt that since it was the last time he would speak to her, he wanted to share his affections towards her as best as he could.

_(**A/N**: According to my research, -ko is used as a permanent suffix on a female name, or can be used to make a shortened 'nickname' form of a name for someone who you are romantically involved with. Example: in Sailormoon, Mamoru is heard calling Usagi 'Usako')_

A small grin wavered on her pale lips. "Shigure…" she murmured in a husky voice. "You're just in time."

He bent forward and kissed her softly on her forehead. He could have sworn that he saw her blush a little, but it was too dark to be certain. He leaned back and stared sadly at her.

"What's the weather like outside?" she asked. "I haven't been outdoors in years."

"The sakura blossoms are in full bloom already."

"How quickly time flies when you spend the remainder of your life sleeping the days away…"

Shigure didn't say anything, but nodded sympathetically. She had grown softer with age—at least to him, she had. She had very little strength to fight back to begin with. She pulled his hand down and held it against her breast.

"I never did tell you, did I?" she whispered.

Shigure tilted his head slightly at her question. "Tell me what?"

She smiled shyly. "Remember our first time 14 years ago?"

He nodded with a childish grin on his face. She had only been 15 years old, and him 23, but he had always loved her and he told her that at a very tender young age. He had always stood by it, except for that one time when he was 26…

"I never did tell you…" she said slowly, smiling and suddenly looking like a little girl again, "that you have a daughter."

Nothing had hit him harder than that. He stared, stunned, at her, unable to say anything. He never knew… at such a young age, how could he… do that… to _her_?

She continued, seeing his surprisement, "I was 16 when I gave birth to her in secret. It was during that five month period that my mother had locked me up in the cat's cage and no one was allowed to see me, except Hatori. My mother was so ashamed of me…." She closed her eyes for a minute to regain her strength. "She was two weeks premature… but strong. In all these years she lived with my mother…. I can't say that I was happy to have her living with that Bitch… but I really didn't have anyone to look after her…. I was so young… and already had so much weight on my shoulders… being the 'God' figure and all." She shuddered silently. "I wouldn't… have made a very good… mother… anyway…"

Shigure watched her, unable to speak, as she closed her eyes, about to drift off into sleep again. For 13 years, he had been a father without knowing it….

"Take care… of her… for me…" she murmured.

She fell asleep, never to wake up again. He hadn't noticed that he had been crying until he tried to bury his face in his hands. His pain was so intense and his sorrow so deep, that he began to weep loudly. He never cried like this. He never let himself go and express himself so openly.

But it didn't matter anymore.

He heard a rustle, and it was then that he noticed the shape of a young girl standing silently in the shadows of the corner of the room. She approached him in the dim, cloudy light. Her face was hidden behind long, thick black hair, but he saw her peeking at him through the strands with grey eyes. She stepped in front of him and timidly placed her small hand on his shoulder in comfort.

Shigure stared at her. "What's… what's your name?"

She blinked, and looked down at her feet timidly. She began to play with her long hair absentmindedly, then suddenly stopped with this look on her face as if she'd been slapped. Shigure's eyes widened at this behavior as she answered in a small, soft voice:

"Akiten…"

_The child that didn't exist._

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: Ayame will be coming up soon... so there will be a fun chapter soon! It's not all dark and serious! (How can it be when Shigure's one of the main characters? LOL)_

_**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**_


	3. Why Am I Crying?

**Chapter 2**

**doushite naite iru no?  
****(Why Am I Crying?)**

Shigure took Akiten's pearl white hand in his big, paper-rough one. She was a little over a foot shorter than him and almost as thin as her dead mother. She was so scrawny, he was surprised that she could keep herself upright. From what he could see behind her thick mass of black hair, she looked like she was 9 years old rather than 13. Her hair was almost as long as she was tall and filled with knots. It appeared as though she had never had a haircut, or a decent brushing in years. Her grey eyes were exceptionally large and framed with long, thick, black lashes.

"Hello Akiten-chan, I'm Shigure, but I guess… this means you can call me… Otou-san." It sounded weird to Shigure to tell this small strange child to call him father. He certainly didn't feel like a father….

"Will you really take care of me now?" she asked.

Shigure nodded and, with her hand still in his, led her out of the room. They met Hatori in his office as he was finishing up one of his files on his computer. Shigure nodded to Hatori; a mutual message was shared between the two friends without a word being uttered. Akito's suffering had finally come to an end. Hatori picked up his phone and started making a series of phone calls to the Juunishi members as well as making preparations for Akito's funeral. Shigure turned to Akiten and asked her to gather her things; he would be back in roughly half an hour to take her home. Akiten nodded mutely and entered the dark room, which Shigure had always believed was abandoned, that had belonged to her for several years without anyone knowing it. Shigure told Hatori where he was off to, and left Hatori's house without a further word said.

** X**

Shigure knocked on the door and was greeted by a maid. "Ah! Shigure-sensei, I'll let Mistress know that you're here to see her." She bowed low before hurrying off.

Shigure entered the spacious house on the Honke (Sohma Estate) and took his shoes off in the doorway. He let himself into the living room where he stood looking around at the decorations. Things hadn't changed since he was last there when he was 26. The walls were the same pale shade of golden yellow. Kanji scrolls decorated with pheasants sitting in tall grasses and cat tails by lakeshores hung stiffly on the walls. A simple, though elegant, couch sat to one side between two ceiling-to-floor long scrolls describing the tale of the Juunishi. He suddenly shuddered involuntarily when an unwanted memory entered his mind.

Soon, she entered wearing an elegant kimono in a lush red colour with black and gold embroidery. Her long, flowing hair that was once black as ebony was now streaked with silver from age. She smirked at him as she approached him assertively, fanning herself gently with her little frilly fan. "My, my, my," she teased, "if it isn't the famous novelist Shigure-sama. I haven't seen you in a while." She stepped so close to him, he could feel her breath on his neck. He swallowed forcefully. She touched him gingerly on the stomach and remarked, "My, I think you've put on a bit of weight since the last time you came here to see me…"

Shigure stepped away from her, shooting her a sharp glare. "I'm 37 years old and have been living on take-out for the past 7 years, so what did you expect to happen to me, Ren?"

Ren, Akito's mother, giggled like she was a teenager and advanced on him again, forcing him into a position he would rather not be in against the wall. "Well, I would have expected more from you, being a Scorpio and all… and a dog no less! And experts say that sex is the best way to stay in shape. You disappoint me Shigure-sensei."

'_Sensei? What's she getting at?' _It was okay for kids and other people his age to call him that, but not this older woman. The way she called him teacher sent shivers up his spine. He stepped away from her again and she followed. "Well, it's not exactly easy being cursed and all…"

"I completely agree, but still, I would have figured that you would have found a way around that little problem. You did with me after al-"

"THAT WAS 11 YEARS AGO!" Shigure interrupted aggressively. He did not want to be reminded of the atrocity he did to Akito. He could never forgive himself for hurting Akito the way he did.

She stopped in her tracks and regarded him closely with narrowed eyes. "You're pushing me away? After we use to get along so well?"

He glared at her, his eyes developing a dog-like ferocity in their depths. Yes, they use to get along. Very well in fact. Their relationship only made Akito all the crueler with her undeniable jealousy. Ren had a different way of showing her love to the Juunishi––a more sensual way. "What happened back then was a mistake-"

"An act of revenge on Akito for sleeping with Kureno," she shot back with equal force. "Don't think I didn't know what was going on with you and _her_!"

"But a mistake all the sa-"

"Face it Shigure!" she hissed, her eyes merely slits with anger. "You're a dog! You'll chase after anything remotely pretty on two legs… maybe even four!"

Shigure lunged and grabbed her by the throat, shoving her up against the wall. She clawed at his hand around her throat with her sharp nails; choking noises escaped from her mouth. A low growl could be heard creeping up from deep within his throat. "I'm not here for your games!" he snarled. "I'm here to tell you that Akito is dead and that she has left Akiten in my care! So just drop it! I'm not your puppet!"

He released her and she fell to the ground, gasping for air. Her eyes shot up angrily, looking into his from the ground, without the slightest hint of fear. "You think it's that easy, don't you? Raising a child is never easy––especially _that _bastard child!" Her pupils were tiny pinpricks of hysteria. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into with _her_! You'll see! You'll come crawling back, begging for me to take her off your hands!"

Shigure, raised his hand to slap her, but stopped; he didn't want to sink so low as to hit an old woman, even if she did deserve it. He stormed away from her, slipped his feet into his shoes at the doorway and left before he might do something he would later regret.

** X**

Akiten walked out of the "abandoned" room with a small suitcase Hatori had given her. Hatori was waiting for her outside her room and took her suitcase for her. He looked down at her tenderly, unable to think of any comforting words to say to her. Instead, he asked the frail child, "So you're all ready then?"

She nodded, her frown hidden behind her thick black locks, as he walked her and her suitcase to the door. "Do you have a pair of dark sunglasses and something to cover my head with?"

Hatori knew what it was she was referring to and nodded his head before going off to search for a pair of sunglasses. Akiten waited in the entryway of Hatori's house for her father to return. This was the first time she had ever met him. She had always been told that her father's name was Shigure and that he was the dog of the Chinese Zodiac, but that was all she knew. She had no knowledge of what he looked like or how he acted. She could only hope that he wasn't worse than Mistress or desert her like her own mother had. Soon her father returned a little haggard compared to when he left. He rubbed his face and she could sense that he was trying to calm himself down from being angry before he came back. She noticed the red claw marks on his hand as he massaged his face, and knew he must have visited Mistress, for no one had nails quite like she did.

Shigure looked down at Akiten when he felt calmer and smiled reassuring. "Ready?"

She nodded, giving him a small smile behind her hand, and bent down to pick up her small suitcase. Shigure stopped her quickly. "Let me get that," he told her as he grabbed the handle and lifted it up off the ground. He tilted his head to one side before asking her, "Are you sure you got everything?"

She nodded again before glancing away quickly. Shigure felt bad for her; it was obvious that she didn't have much if her practically empty suitcase contained everything she owned. What was her childhood like? He had no idea what she must have been through because just an hour ago, he didn't even know he had a daughter. He was nervous in a sense that he wasn't sure what it was a father did. His stomach fluttered in a way he couldn't understand, and for the first time, he felt afraid to get close to her.

Before more could be shared between father and daughter, Hatori returned with a dark pair of sunglasses and a black scarf. He handed them to Akiten, who in turn put the sunglasses on her face and wrapped the scarf around her head.

'_What's with the getup?'_ Shigure thought to himself, but thought it better not to ask. He'll find out later when he felt more comfortable.

Akiten turned to her father and told him she was ready to go now. Shigure took her suitcase and carried it out the front door to the waiting cab. Once his back was turned, Shigure didn't see the hug Akiten and Hatori shared in their farewell.

** X**

Shigure opened the door to Akiten's new room. The only thing in the room, other than the thin layer of dust covering everything, was the pink fluffy bed that had once belonged to Honda Tohru when she was living there with Shigure and his younger cousins. Man, did he ever miss her home-cooked food! She was always so diligent with her housework too; there was never a speck of dust on anything while she was there. Those were the cleanest years of his life.

"This will be your room. It has the best bed. The other rooms are…" Shigure sighed with a chuckle, "well, they're a little cluttered."

Secretly, Shigure had always kept better care of this room in case its old occupant mysteriously returned after she had mysteriously disappeared without a trace. He smiled sadly at the old memory as Akiten walked inside it and looked around. It was still cloudy outside, which made the room look a little on the grey and lonely side. Shigure thought it was odd that she still kept the thick sunglasses on and her head wrapped in the scarf. She turned to him after she finished surveying the room after a few seconds.

"Do you have another room without a window?"

Shigure blinked at her odd, unexpected question. "Another room? Well yes, but all of the rooms have a window. There isn't a room in the house without a window. Why are you so concerned about a window? And why don't you take off that scarf and those sunglasses?" He felt as though she was trying to hide something and it made him somewhat uneasy.

Obediently, she began to unravel the scarf from her head and took the sunglasses from her eyes. She let her hair hang down in clumps in front of her face when she looked up to speak to him. "Let me ask you something, Shigure; have you ever been locked in a small room for days at a time without food or water and not a single stream of light to break through the darkness?"

Shigure was too stunned to speak. He wasn't expecting her to say anything like that, but then, there were a lot of things happening that were unexpected.

"I thought not," she said, lowering her gaze. She put the sunglasses back on. "When your eyes have become as accustomed to darkness as mine have, any little bit of exposure to light hurts my eyes. There's nothing I can do except to take light exposure in small douses until my eyes become used to it."

Shigure's only response was to swallow the large lump that had formed in his throat. He excused himself, telling her that he was going to order some delivery food for lunch. He left Akiten in the room and walked with his hand over his mouth to the bathroom. He felt ill. If what she had told him was true… what in the world had she been through? He was lucky enough to have a decent childhood with his parents that his stomach clenched up at the thought of his daughter suffering. Was this what a 'normal' parent felt when they worried about their child? He tried to compose himself. He splashed some cool water on his face and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He suddenly felt older than he really was.

'_What kind of a father are you?' _he asked himself silently. _'You're pathetic.'_

** X**

_Akiten was surrounded by darkness again. She sighed contently. This was how she liked it. She enjoyed her solitude in the dark. There was no one to yell at her, or call her names; no one to hit her or beat her out cold. Yes, there was a certain peace and calm she found in the dark._

_Akiten's ears perked up when she thought she heard something. It sounded like the voice of a little girl crying. Akiten rose to her feet from her sitting position on the ground and stepped forward in search of the crier._

"_Is anyone there?" she asked into the darkness._

_There was no answer other than the steady sound of sobbing. She found herself running through the darkness now, pushing her way through the blackness that surrounded her. Her acute eyes searched for the crying child. She thought she was getting closer as the wailing became louder, but she still could not see the child._

"_Where are you?" she questioned._

_Still no answer other than the crying in the darkness._

_Akiten looked around in all directions for the person weeping, but there didn't seem to be anything around her in the darkness; nothing but empty space. Where was she?_

"_I must be dreaming," she said out loud to herself._

_She knew her eyes were sharp in the dark and could pick out anything that was around her. However, since there seemed to be nothing around her; she could only come to the conclusion that she was dreaming._

"_Yes, you are dreaming."_

_Akiten spun around when she heard a person speak to her from behind in a cold, hollow voice. She saw her mother emerge from the darkness. Akito was ghastly white, and was dressed in a white yukata. Everything about her was pale with almost a translucent quality. Akiten began to shake all over as if she were freezing to death. She couldn't stop shaking as Akito walked slowly closer to her._

"_And just like dreams can haunt you in your sleep," Akito declared with a sneer, "I can haunt you."_

_Akiten stepped back, but it was futile. Akito still advanced closer and closer to her. She could hear herself screaming and she realized the child who had been wailing was her own subconscious self within her dream. Akiten stared at her with terror as Akito stopped three feet away and pulled a screaming baby from behind her back. She clutched the baby's feet in her hand and held it upside down as it cried helplessly. From her other hand behind her back, she withdrew a sharp knife and held it against the baby's throat._

_With tears burning down her cheeks, Akiten screamed louder, begging with Akito not to do it. "Don't kill her!"_

_Akiten didn't know if the child was a girl or not, but it just came out that way. She couldn't bear to watch Akito murder a defenseless child, but she couldn't turn away either. She was frozen except for her own screams and falling tears._

"_This is what I should have done with you!" Akito shrieked. Her eyes turned bright red as she slashed the baby's throat and dropped it to the ground like a sack of potatoes._

…

Akiten woke up screaming and clawing at her surroundings. She was enclosed in darkness and wasn't sure if she was really awake or still dreaming. She clawed at the walls around her, screeching and screeching at the top of her lungs. Her sharp nails dug into the wooden walls around her as she tried frantically to dig her way out of her cage like a rat. She could feel a hot liquid on her cheeks and wiped frantically at the baby's blood that was pouring down her face. The baby's skin fell off its body and clung to her bloody cheeks. Akiten clawed at the skin between swipes at her cage, still screaming in terror.

Suddenly, Shigure broke the pitch blackness and pulled her from her box and into the moonlit hallway. She felt him trying desperately to pin her down to the ground so she could calm down without hurting herself. She cried fearfully and scratched his arms with her nails as she tried to escape from his hold. As far as she knew, it wasn't Shigure gripping her, but Akito trying to kill her like she killed the baby.

Shigure didn't know what to do. She was freaking out to the point where she was hurting him and herself. Fighting with her, he yelled over the shrieks, "Akiten! It's me, Shigure! Calm down!"

She stopped screaming and struggling and opened her eyes. She saw her father pinning her down in the hallway and instinctively she tried to fling him away, but she wasn't strong enough. She gave up to her heavy sobs and crying, "Gomen! Gomen!"

Shigure relaxed and released her shoulders that he'd been gripping. He couldn't see her face, and he untangled the mess of hair that clung to her face, to find her cheeks all scratched up with small smears of blood mixing with her salty tears. The liquid she thought was blood was really her own tears, and the baby's skin was really her hair sticking to her face. She covered her eyes as she cried pitifully. He didn't know what to do. He looked at the box she had been sleeping in and asked Akiten in a puzzled, gasping voice (as he was still worried and had worn himself out with her struggles), "What were you doing sleeping in the towel closet?"

Suddenly, she flung her arms around his waist, still sobbing uncontrollably. Shocked and surprised, Shigure didn't know what to do when he didn't transform into a dog. Was she a member of the Juunishi too? "Dammit!" he muttered softly to himself, pulling her tightly against his chest. There was so much he didn't know about her.

Akiten, thinking he was mad at her, only began to cry harder and louder. "I'm sorry! I couldn't sleep with the moonlight streaming in through my window! I-I needed a small, dark, enclosed space! I felt safe there! I thought I was safe there!"

She was referring to Akito haunting her dreams, but Shigure didn't understand. He didn't press her though. He just stroked her hair gently and told her "Everything will be okay" in a soft voice. He couldn't understand her distress, and the more he held her and listened to her sobs, the more his heart hurt.

"I'm sorry I was ever born! I'm sorry I ruined Akito's life! I'm sorry I'm such a terrible, worthless child! I'm sorry for screwing everything up! I'm just plain sorry for everything because it's all my fault!" Akiten continued to wail until her voice was hoarse and her nose was plugged up to the point where she had to stop crying and yelling because she needed her mouth to breathe. Slowly, she fell silent as she cried herself asleep against him in his arms.

Shigure, who had tears of his own running down his cheeks, looked down at his daughter powerlessly. What was a pitiful old man like him suppose to do? He didn't know what to do. He wasn't father material. He didn't know how to be a father. He was so pathetic, just like Akito.

He carried her back into her new room and tucked her gently into bed without waking her. He kneeled down beside her and watched her sleep, wiping her bloodied tears away on the comforter.

'_What kind of a father am I? I'm such a horrible person!'_

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** If it's getting too dramatic/depressing for you, be assured that the next chapter has a lot of humour! (due to Shigure's inner 'child' coming out at last, and Ayame showing up XD). We'll see how that goes!_


	4. There was a Great Deal of Fuss

**Chapter 3**

**taizanmeidoushitenezumiippiki  
****(There was a great deal of fuss)**

Akiten woke up the next morning with yellow sunlight pouring forth from her window. A beautiful spring day had blessed Japan as the perfect time for the Sakura festival. Covering her eyes, she shrieked as though she was going permanently blind. Shigure, who had fallen asleep at the side of her bed, jumped up with a snort, yelling, "Where's the dinosaur bone?"

Shigure's eyes darted around the room in puzzlement, and sighed when he realized that the big dinosaur bone had merely been a dream. "Mou, it's not fair…" he whined under his breath, standing up from his kneeling position at the side of the pink bed; he stretched, hearing his stiff joints crack, and yawned sleepily. "I should have become a palaeontologist…"

"It's so bright!" Shigure heard Akiten's muffled voice. He turned and looked down at the old fluffy bed with his head tilted to the side. Akiten was buried beneath her thick covers to escape from the bright morning light. He suppressed a laugh behind his hand. He had never met someone who was afraid of sunlight. It was rather quite amusing to tell you the truth.

"Are you laughing at me?" inquired Akiten, sitting up on her bed with the covers still over her head.

He started to laugh harder as a dirty image fluttered in and tugged at the corners of his perverted mind, hinting at Shigure that Akiten looked like it sitting up with that comforter over her head. The Scorpio's mind is a filthy thing.

Akiten threw off her covers and glared at Shigure with her large grey eyes. "You _are_ laughing at me!" she accused.

Shigure stopped laughing and they stared (Akiten glared) at each other without moving. Shigure saw Akiten's left eye twitch. Her lips began to waver as she tried to keep control of her glare. Within moments, Akiten's eyes were watering. "KYAAA!" she screeched, hiding under her blankets again. "IT'S SO BRIGHT!"

Shigure's eyes watered; he covered his mouth with his hands, but it was too late. He snorted loudly before bursting into fits of laughter.

"This isn't funny!" Akiten shouted both irritably and embarrassedly.

'_This is too funny!'_ Shigure thought devilishly, continuing to snort and snicker as he hurried out of the room. He shut her door behind him, laughing at the top of his lungs.

If Shigure had any decency left in him, he would stop laughing and try to think of something that would bring Akiten out from under the covers. However, Shigure wasn't decent, and although he was fully 37 years old, he was still a teenager with raging hormones at heart. When his guffawing subsided to giddy girly giggles, he couldn't help but utter in a tiny voice through his tears of laughter, "Penis! Penis!" which was the haunting image that penetrated his perverted mind.

Akiten could hear Shigure doing something outside her door, but she couldn't tell what. "What are you still giggling about like a school girl?" she demanded hotly from under the pink blanket.

"P-PENIS!"

Akiten sweatdropped when Shigure burst into fits of giggles again. _'What are we, in junior high now?' _She sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. _'And this guy's my father? Go figure.'_

"PENIS!"

"YOU'RE A PENIS!"

Akiten groaned and flopped down on her bed with the comforter still over her head. _'Well, at least life should be more interesting here than _There_,'_ she told herself. _'But still…'_ She sighed again, _'Why me?'_

Akiten stopped moping around in self-pity when she heard the soft mewing of a cat outside. The cat seemed to call out to her as if whispering her name in her ear. She instantly flung the blanket off her head, hissing from the intensity of the bright light, and stood on top of her bed to look out her bedroom window. She shielded her eyes from the sun's glare, squinting at the ground meters below her. She couldn't see anything but white at first because the light was so bright, but gradually she thought she saw something small with a tinge of orange moving around through the blinding whiteness. She caught the cat's eyes, which were clear and in focus compared to everything else, and stared in them for several seconds. He meowed up at her briefly, causing her to break eye contact, before taking off somewhere. Akiten searched for him around the side of the building with her light-distorted eyes, but he was gone.

'_That was weird,'_ she thought. She didn't understand why his eyes would be in focus while everything else was blurry. Why did she suddenly feel calmer now than before? It was like… he spoke to her, communicated with her somehow. She couldn't understand it. She rubbed her eyes when she heard Shigure gasp from the doorway. Akiten turned away from the window, blinking rapidly at her father. _'Damn light… why does it have to be so bright?' _But it wasn't as bad now, somehow. Could her eyes have adjusted to the light a little bit?

"You've come out of hiding from the dark side!" Shigure exclaimed proudly.

Akiten's eyes were tearing up. "What? God, it's so bright…" Somehow, it was a little more bearable than before… (but just a little).

Gleeful, Shigure extended his hands and shook her right one roughly. "I'm so proud of you!" he pumped with a big goofy grin on his face. "How about we go out for breakfast?"

"Out? Breakfast?"

"But first, we must look after this hair! It's a mess!"

He pushed her down to sit on the edge of her bed before hurrying out of the room and returning with a comb in his hand. He sat down next to her, happy and eager to be doing something remotely fatherly. Akiten sat still, not comprehending what Shigure was doing as she was too busy rubbing her eyes and murmuring, "I'm blind! I'm blind! I can't see!" Shigure put the comb in her hair at the top of her head and combed down; or rather, pulled down as it was immediately caught on a knot.

"_OOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW!_" Akiten yelled. She pushed him away, which only resulting in more pulling. "OW! OW! OW! OOWWWWWW!" She slapped Shigure's hand away from her head (the comb stayed stuck in her hair, pocking out a bit among the knots) and shouted, "NANI YO? WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Shigure, with waterfalls streaming down his cheeks, whimpered, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm just trying to help! Don't hurt me!"

"It feels like you're trying to rip out my hair!" she shouted.

Akiten ran away from her father (metaphorically speaking, as she was still sitting on the edge of her bed) and dove beneath the covers with the comb permanently stuck in her hair. Shigure heard a content sigh from in the bed and scratched his chin in deep thought. Her hair might need more help than he thought. There was only one thing to do.

** X**

Shigure was in his study looking for his sleeping eye mask ("A writer's best friend if you ask me!" Shigure had told his younger cousins a long time ago) when he heard the click of the front door opening and his guest letting himself in. Running footsteps bellowed down the hallway toward him. Shigure closed the drawer he was looking through with his prize and walked quickly to the door of his study.

His guest spotted him and ran toward him with his hand outstretched for Shigure's. "GURE-SAN!" greeted his magnificent, white haired friend in his confident projective voice.

Shigure smiled brightly, "Hey Aaya. It's good to see you. Would you mind-"

"WHERE IS SHE? WHERE IS SHE GURE-NI?" Shigure's eccentric friend interrupted.

"-taking your shoes off?"

Sohma Ayame looked down at his feet and laughed loudly. "Of course! Of course! I was just so excited to see you and your new 'guest'!" Ayame winked at Shigure before returning to the entryway with a "HA HA HA HA!" and taking his shoes off.

Shigure and Ayame had been friends for as long as they could remember. They went to school together with Hatori and shared their 'erotic' fantasies with each other. Well, at least Shigure and Ayame did. Despite the fact that Ayame was the same age as Shigure and Hatori, Ayame looked 10 years younger than them. Hatori was already starting to get a few grey hairs due to the level of stress that came with his work, and Shigure's back wasn't as good as it use to be and his wrists developed Carpel Tunnel Syndrome roughly 7 years ago. Although Ayame still looked like he was in his late twenties, his wrists developed problems of their own from his carefully hand-stitched patterns and designs.

Ayame returned as soon as his shoes were off and he tapped his index fingers together impatiently. "Well, where is she, Gure-ni?" he asked eagerly. "When you told me you had a 'special' guest in your house, I hurried over as quickly as I could!"

"Did you bring your cosmetic case and hairstylist bag?" Shigure asked as he led Ayame up the stairs to the second floor.

"But of course, Gure-san!" exclaimed Ayame with a flourish of his hand. "You know I'd do anything to help make our little princess feel right at home! I just wish the prince could be here also!"

"Aaya-"

"But alas, he is studying in Europe! But I hear he is going to try and make it for Akito-san's funeral tomorrow!"

"Aaya-"

"Gure-san, I know how you must feel about Akito-san's passing! It's such a tragic thing to happen to us Juunishi!"

"Aaya-"

"But we all knew that she was going to leave us soon! If you ever need me for anything, Gure-ni, just call me! You know I'm more than happy to come and visit you!"

Akiten could hear them approaching her bedroom. Who couldn't with all the noise they were making? She wondered who the loud mouth was. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the covers off her head and sat up on her bed. Squinting in the bright light, she watched the door as it swung open with a shriek.

Ayame took one look at Akiten sitting on Honda Tohru's bed, screamed and pulled the door shut with a sharp snap.

Akiten sweatdropped and hid back under the covers again. _'Baka…'_

Shigure was not the least bit surprised by Ayame's horrified high-pitched screech because when he did see Akiten sitting up on Tohru's bed, she looked horrifically like that little girl from the movie "Ringu" (not to mention a reincarnation of Akito). He tried to talk to his friend, "Aaya-"

Instead of listening, Ayame grabbed Shigure into the bedroom across the hall and slammed the door shut behind him. He turned on Shigure, hissing in a whisper, _"WHAT, in the name of AKITO, was THAT sitting on Tohru-kun's bed? That was not Princess Tohru-kun!"_

Shigure, trying to calm him down, said, "Aaya-" and got cut off again by his white haired friend.

"_I know! If we can get Prince Charming to come and kiss her, he'll break the spell and the demon will be vanquished! Tohru-kun will be saved!"_

Shigure covered Ayame's mouth before the hyperactive, over-dramatic snake could make a further fool of himself. He shook his head disapprovingly, "Aaya, you misunderstood me. Now let me explain."

"So, Tohru-kun didn't come home?"

Shigure shook his head, "No. I haven't seen her since she left us in high school. You know that."

Ayame nodded sadly at the thought that no one still knew where Honda Tohru was. He, like many others in the Sohma family, missed her cheerful presence in their solemn, cursed lives. She was the only _normal_ person to understand them and accept them for who they were (granted Akito's permission to not dismiss her like she had with previous _normal_ people that uncovered their curse). They owed a great deal to her, and because of her sudden disappearance, they were unable to show her their gratitude.

Ayame, now accepting that Tohru was still "lost", asked in confusion, "Then, who was that in her room?"

Shigure scratched the back of his head, trying to think of the best way to tell his friend. Although Ayame knew that Akito was really a woman, Shigure never told his friend _everything_ that had happened when he was alone with Akito. "Well, her name is Akiten, and… well, she's Akito's daughter."

Ayame stared at Shigure with round eyes. "A-Akito's daughter? I didn't know she was capable of even having children!" he remarked.

"Yeah… I didn't know that either…"

"Does Tori-san know about her?" Ayame asked in a whisper, as though he was trying to hear the latest celebrity gossip.

"Yeah, apparently, she's been staying with him for a while before moving in with me."

Ayame couldn't believe it. "She must be roughly ten years old. How did Akito manage to hide her for so long?"

"Well, actually, she's thirteen, and I have no clue either. All I know is that she's been in Ren's care for a long time, and obviously carries emotional and mental scars from living with her."

"Thirteen? Are you sure Gure-san? That would mean… Akito had to have been sixteen when she had her! That's so young! Who would get her pregnant at such a young age?"

Shigure was so embarrassed, he could no longer look at his long time friend with whom he had for all these years shared everything he did and everything he fantasized… well, almost everything. "Well, that would be, uh…"

"Gure-san, you didn't!" Ayame gasped when Shigure nodded self-consciously. "But… how?"

Shigure still couldn't look Ayame in the eyes, and found himself staring off into the dark room as he called forth the memory of his first time so very long ago.

…

_Shigure gazed at the only bud on the sakura tree outside of Akito's house that was about to bloom. The trees were going to blossom early this year. Mesmerized by the simplicity of the bud's blossom, he picked it carefully off the tree. It reminded him of Akito's fragile youth blooming into a young woman. He walked up to the house and spotted her sitting on the edge of the porch, just looking around at the winter disappearing and the spring reappearing. She smiled when she saw him coming. She was in a good mood today, and that thought made Shigure all the happier to see her._

"_Spring's coming early this year," he had said when he reached her and stood in front of her. "See?" He took her hand and gently placed the tiny flower in her palm._

_She blushed, somewhat shy with him, "Thank you Shigure."_

_She stood up and told him that she would go put it in some water. Shigure followed her into the house, admiring the way she walked in her comfortable yukata. He noticed the shape of her tiny waist under her obi and the curves of her maturing hips. He swallowed, and tried to shoo the perverted messages being sent through his body._

"_But she's… so beautiful…"_

_His eyes widened when he realized he had been thinking out loud and that she had heard him. His eyes met her surprised ones and they stared in silence at each other. Their cheeks glowed pink in the sunlit room, before she looked away, embarrassed._

"_I… I'm not beautiful…"_

"_Don't say that!" he found himself saying. He stepped toward her and took her smooth, pale chin in his fingertips, tilting it up so that her eyes would look into his. "You are the most beautiful girl I have ever met."_

_Her rosy cheeks heightened a shade and he found the cherry redness of her lush lips so captivating he just had to touch them. Aching with desire, he briefly pressed his lips gently against hers before pulling her into a tight embrace in his arms. She stiffened in shock, breathing hard, but slowly relaxed into his hug. He inhaled her sweet, youthful fragrance, feeling all the more aroused by the rising and falling of her breasts against his chest as she breathed._

"_I still stand by what I told you," Shigure whispered into Akito's ear. "My feelings will never change, my dear Akito; I will always love you."_

…

"GURE-SAN! HOW COULD YOU? SHE WAS JUST A CHILD! OHHH! HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A HORRIBLE THING?"

Shigure stood where he was, scratching the back of his head with a stupid grin on his face as if to say "heh, oops", while Ayame was running around in circles around him, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD DO SUCH A THING! AND TO AKITO-SAN! OH, WAIT UNTIL YUKI-KUN FINDS OUT! OHHHH, HE'LL HAVE A FIT!"

Shigure tried to calm the snake down, feeling very awkward for once in his friend's presence. "Maa maa Aaya, you should calm down before you hurt yourself," he told Ayame. When Ayame didn't cease his humiliating tantrum, Shigure said the next best thing that would surely stop Ayame's hissy-fit, "You're getting too old to be running around recklessly like that."

Ayame paused in his tracks and gasped at Shigure with large yellow eyes, "Are you calling me _old_, Gure-ni?"

Trying to avoid more complications in questioning Ayame's age ("I'm not old, Gure-san, you are! I'm never getting old! AH HA HA HA HA!"), Shigure instead tried to divert his attentions back on Akiten––who they should have been on in the first place. He put a reasoning hand on Ayame's shoulder and said, "Aaya, we haven't been very kind to Akiten-chan. So here's what we should do; we're going to go back into her room and greet Akiten-chan properly. No mischief or funny business, okay?"

Ayame brightened. "But of course Gure-san! I was just startled to see someone other than Tohru-kun that it was a shock to my system. You should be grateful that I didn't have a heart-attack!"

The two fully-grown men left their cluttered "hide-out from the Ringu Girl" and knocked on Akiten's door before stepping in. Ayame swung the door open forcefully and bound inside with his arms stretched out wide. "Good morning sunshine! We have a special treat for you! ME! HA HA HA HA!"

Akiten peeked out from beneath the covers with a sweatdrop. _'Dear God, the circus is back in town.' _She withdrew and burrowed deeper under the covers without a word spoken. As far as she was concerned, the circus wasn't welcome anywhere near her; she wasn't buying the clown's acts.

Ayame had seen her peek out from under her blanket and was further encouraged to meet her with this sign of curiosity. "Come on out sunshine and _dazzle_ us with your stunning beauty!"

"I'd rather not…" Akiten muttered, wishing that they would just leave her alone in peace and quiet. The guy was hurting her ears with his boomingly, energetic voice.

Shigure could sense that Ayame was getting a little out of hand now; Akiten would not come out with Ayame's attitude the way it was. It needed to be turned down a notch. Shigure tried to reason with his hyperactive friend, "Aaya, don't be so demanding of her. She doesn't even know you after all."

"Well, she won't get to know me by hiding under her covers!" Ayame remarked indignantly.

Shigure sighed exasperatedly, "Just don't do something stu-"

Ayame whipped off the covers without so much as a warning. Blinded to the suddenly burst of light exposure, Akiten shrieked, catching Ayame off guard and causing him to jump and scream, "AHHH! IT'S SADA! SHE'S POSSESSED AKITEN-CHAN!"

_(**A/N**: Sadako is the little girl from the original Japanese version of "The Ring", "Ringu")_

Before Ayame could turn tail and run out of the room, Shigure grabbed hold of the high collar of his dress (clothes). Legs reeling, Ayame squealed, "LET ME GO, GURE-NI! I REFUSE TO LET SADAKO GET ME!"

Shigure turned Ayame around and directed his eyes to Akiten all curled up in a ball on the bed, chanting, "It's so bright! It's so bright! I can't see! I'm blind!" Her hair was still all tangled around her in big black clumps. She looked more pathetic than anything remotely frightening from a horror film.

"If you weren't so impulsive, Aaya," Shigure informed the snake, "you'd see that Akiten just has a lot of black hair and eyes very sensitive to light. Now go introduce yourself to her."

Ayame, not the least bit apologetic by his actions, declared, "You're absolutely right Gure-san! All she needs is a good brushing and she'll be as beautiful as a flower! HA HA HA HA!"

Shigure, ignoring Ayame's impudence, walked to Akiten's bed and sat down on the edge. He pulled his sleeping eye mask from his yukata and placed it beside her head. She felt his serene movements and glanced at the mask beside her from under the blanket. "What's that?" she asked him, squinting at the mask.

"It's an eye mask to block out light," Shigure told her.

Upon hearing these words, she quickly snatched it and was about to pull it under the blanket, when Shigure grasped her pale hand and asked her to wait for a moment. Akiten looked up at him from the darkness beneath the covers. He beckoned her to come out, and after several attempts, she crawled out to meet Ayame. Shigure smiled at her, "Akiten-chan, I want you to meet my friend, Sohma Ayame. Aaya, this is my daughter, Akiten."

She looked at Ayame, who bowed elegantly. There was something… odd about him. Her eyes met his piercing yellow ones and she suddenly understood. "You're the snake of the Juunishi," she stated, surprised that this white-hair hooligan was one of the few "precious" people in her mother's life.

Ayame winked (which she didn't catch because her eyes were beginning to tear up again). "Oh, I see someone's been talking about me!" he grinned at Shigure before laughing once again (just to hear himself laugh).

Shigure didn't return the grin. He never told Akiten anything about Ayame, he didn't even mention him to her. Did she overhear him say something about his Zodiac in the hallway? He didn't think so, but he couldn't understand how she knew that Ayame was the snake. Only the other members of the Juunishi and Tohru knew about their animals. How could this child know right away that he was indeed the snake?

While Shigure regarded her in confusion, Akiten covered her eyes with the mask and sighed satisfactorily.

Ayame, suddenly appearing quite taken by Akiten, stepped toward her, his eyes sparkling as if he had discovered a jewel among rocks. He reached down to stroke her hair… scratch that. He reached down and touched her hair, and pulled on the entrapped hair comb from earlier that morning.

"OWWW!" she howled, slapping his hand away. "Why must everyone try to touch me?"

Bugged eyed, Ayame turned to Shigure and demanded him in disgusted voice, "Gure-san! There's a _comb_ stuck in her _hair_!"

"I know Aaya, that's why I called you over," Shigure said, forcing his uncertain and disturbing thoughts about the mystery that was Akiten into a corner of his mind. "Her hair is so tangled, she needs professional help and you have the most careful and skilled hands when it comes to knots and threads. I knew you would be the best candidate to restore her hair into silky-smooth locks instead of knots."

Aaya shook his head, examining her hair more closely. "There's not much I can do with a jungle of tangles as bad as this."

Shigure frowned, "Are you proposing we do as I feared?"

"We may have to, Gure-ni."

"Do what?" Akiten asked in bewilderment. She couldn't see the faces of the two men hovering over her, but their voices proved that whatever they were discussing couldn't be good. "What are you going to do?"

"My dear," Ayame said kindly, "we are simply going to transform your hair and give it a whole new look! When I am done with it, it will shine like never before! In sunlight or moonlight, your hair will radiate its awesome beauty to all!"

"Oh, moonlight! How romantic!" Shigure squealed eagerly.

Ayame got that look in his eyes that Shigure missed since the last time he saw him. "Are you asking me to spend the night with you, Gure-san?"

Shigure touched the spot above his heart with his hand tenderly. "I would be honoured to have your presence in my room tonight, Aaya."

"Yosh!" the two men both exclaimed together with a thumbs up.

'…_nani yo?' _Akiten sat between them, wondering,_ 'What the heck are they talking about?'_

"So, let's get started!" Ayame shouted enthusiastically, clapping his hands together. "Gure-san, I'll need you to fetch me a chair or a tall stool, something for her to sit on, while I get my hair stylist bag!"

"Do you have everything you need in there? Do you want me to grab any of my brushes or combs?"

"No, no, no, we should be fine with what I have. We wouldn't want to lose any more of your combs in her hair."

"Okay," Shigure replied. He turned to Akiten and asked her to stay put, and that he would be right back, before he hurried off in search of something for her to sit on.

'_Where do you expect me to go? The convenient store because it's convenient?'_ She sighed listlessly, sitting like a bump on a log on her bed. She really did like the eye mask though. It was soft and kept her frazzled hair from getting in her eyes, and best of all, it completely blocked out all light. She could feel the warmth of the sunlight shining in through her window on her exposed skin, radiating heat throughout her body without the harshness of the sun burning her retinas. She smiled to herself, feeling comfortable in her surroundings without fear of anyone or anything doing something bad to her.

Her peaceful silence was short lived when Shigure returned with a tall wooden stool and assisted her in sitting on top of it with her mask still over her eyes (not an easy thing for her to do considering she had no clue what a stool looked like). Ayame soon returned with his over-sized purse, fully equipped with nezumi key chains dangling from the zippers and embroidered pictures of the same mouse with a piece of cheese in its paws (not that Akiten could see these little add ons, but she did get a good look at them later that day). Ayame set his bag down on her bed and began unpacking all of its contents. It looked like it carried an entire hair studio judging from the number of items he was pulling out: two bottles of hair spray (one was backup), a pair of scissors, three combs, two brushes, a case of 50 hair pins, ten hair rollers, a bottle of hair gel, a mini curling iron, a hand-sized blow-dryer and a couple other bottles of "mystery" spray that Ayame concocted with his own special ingredients to make his hair as soft, sleek and shiny as it can be.

"Wow Aaya, how did you manage to fit everything in there?"

Ayame winked at Shigure deviously, "Skill my delightful inu, skill. AH HA HA HA!"

Akiten felt the hebi's smooth hands touch her head. He asked Shigure to pass him the purple bottle on his bed. He sprayed some of its contents onto the top of her hair, massaging her scalp gently and explaining to Shigure and Akiten what it was. "This is one of my pro-vitamin hair sprays used to get tangles and knots out of hair! Pass me my comb please, Gure-san!" Shigure did as he asked and Ayame began to carefully comb some of the knots out of her hair on the top of Akiten's head. He managed to dig out Shigure's old comb that got lost earlier and managed to smooth out most of the big knots. He tried to tackle the excess hair below her shoulders, but seeing as he ended up ripping most of it out from a screaming Akiten, he resorted to cutting off most of her hair. At first, she refused to let him get near her with those scissors, but after a lot of pulling and ripping of her long, matted hair, she finally gave in, seeing as there was no escape from their determination to restore her youthful, beautiful hair. When he finished, her hair that was almost as long as she was tall was now chin-length and layered because the knots had been so bad. He wanted to give her bangs ("You'll look so cute with bangs!") but she refused ("How am I going to protect my eyes from the light?"). When he finished, her hair was tangle free and shiny, but greasy from the amount of hairspray from the purple bottle. She looked a lot better, very cute once you got past the oiliness of her hair. He stood back, admiring his work, "I never cease to amaze myself! AH HA HA HA!"

"Aaya, you're a miracle worker!" Shigure declared with a broad smile across his face.

"It was tough work, Gure-san, but we got through the mess that was the worst of it. Now, all she needs is a bath to clean out the oils," Ayame said, holding up a mirror so she could see herself when she took her eye mask off.

Shigure nodded, noting the dirty shine radiating off her greasy hair. "She does look cute with short hair," he smiled broadly.

Akiten stared at her reflection. She hated it. She looked too much like her mother... She lowered her head so that her hair would fall in her face and hide her bottled up emotions. Shigure and Ayame thought she was blushing, so they continued to praise her, finding her "humiliation" somewhat amusing.

"Now that she's a vibrant flower among thorn bushes," Ayame exclaimed proudly, "she needs a cute nickname to suit her cute hairdo!"

Shigure batted his hand playfully at the snake, "Oh, Aaya, don't give her something embarrassing!"

"What?" replied Ayame, offended. "I do not give embarrassing nicknames! You have me all wrong Gure-ni!"

Akiten was silently fuming over her hair, but upon hearing that Ayame was going to give her a nickname, her anger turned to that of despair. How much longer must they mortify her? She just wanted to be left alone. She had no place among people, this she knew from deep within her heart. She'd been locked away, hidden from everyone for a reason—she was a nothing, a no one, and as such, she should be shunned, not praised. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Ayame announce:

"From this day forward, you shall now be called 'Aki-chuu'! AH HA HA HA HA!"

Akiten sweatdropped distastefully as she watched him make a bigger fool of himself. _'Aki… chuu? As in-'_

"And now a kiss for the newly crowned princess! Chuu chuu!" he declared, bending down and kissing her cheek quickly.

Her eyes widened and she felt her cheeks grow hot as she stared up at Ayame. Did he…

HE DID!

Horrified, she just sat there, frozen in place with her large grey eyes staring at him (or rather, through him—she was too lost to focus on him). Ayame just laughed, saying, "She's so stunned by my beauty that she can't show her gratitude! HA HA HA HA!"

"Oh Aaya, you're such a joker," Shigure beamed at his friend.

Ayame straightened up and turned serious now, pointing a finger at Shigure. "You must give her a bath now, Gure-san. I won't stand to have her sitting there like a statue when she could be beautifying herself!"

He handed Shigure a bottle of his best shampoo and conditioner and began to collect the worst of the hair on the floor. He would get a broom and sweep up the smaller bits once he was finished picking up the big clumps.

As Ayame began to tidy up his mess, Shigure had found the sunglasses Hatori had given Akiten before she left his house, and put them on her face. Waking up from her distorted daze, she let him lead her to the bathroom down the hallway that was now her own private bathroom, just like it had been Tohru's when she lived there. He showed her how to run the taps and plug because sometimes the plug would stick. Tohru freaked out the first time it stuck on her, thinking she broke it because Shigure forgot to warn her ahead of time. He didn't forget this time though, and Akiten was grateful for his assistance. Once he left, Akiten looked at the tub filling up with water and then at the two bottles of shampoo and conditioner Ayame had given her.

'_I hope this stuff doesn't sting my eyes…'_

She had only recently been having baths regularly since she started living with Hatori. When she was living with Mistress, her baths were more like showers with a hose on hot days and a bucket full of lukewarm water dumped over her head in the tub when it was cold outside. She took her clothes off, which comprised of a simple, patched, stained and ripped grey dress that she had been wearing for the past five years. She had a few clothes that Hatori had bought for her, but she hardly ever wore them, treating them like gold because they were the first gifts she had ever been given to her. Akiten carefully stepped into the warm-lukewarm water, remembering the first time she ever had a bath…

…

_Hatori showed her to his bathroom, pointed out the bottles sitting on the edge, and told her not to be too long. He closed the door and left her standing there, oblivious as to what she was supposed to do. She walked to the edge of the tub and studied the taps. She had seen Mistress turn them before, which opened up something behind the wall, and allowed water to pour forth into the big porcelain basin. She noted that there were two handles to turn, and not knowing the difference between the two, she had turned the hot water on and watched it slowly fill the tub. When it was half full, she turned it off, knowing that it was more than enough for the likes of her. She felt excessively hot, and wasn't sure what to make of the steam that clouded up the mirror above the sink. With her clothes still on (because Ren usually just sprayed her down with her clothes still on as it washed both Akiten and saved her time spent doing laundry), she stepped into the steaming water and shrieked. This shock to her system caused her to lose her balance. She grabbed hold of the shower curtains, which managed to sustain her weight for a moment, but then broke from their clips on the bar above the tub. She fell, screaming, into the hot water as Hatori ran in, asking worriedly if she was okay._

"_AITA! IT'S HOT! IT HURTS!"_

_He quickly helped her out of the water before she was scalded badly. She was bright red from where she landed and the water that splashed on her; he had to do a quick little check-over to make sure she wasn't burned too seriously._

"_Haven't you taken a bath before?" he asked, incredulously._

_She shook her head and described to him the way she had always been "bathed". He just shook his head and explained to her what it was she was supposed to do. He left and she followed his instructions as best as she could. She succeeded with the water the second time around, however, she mixed up the shampoo with the shaving gel._

_Hatori thought she smelt a little funny when she was done._

…

With those mistakes in the past, she now knew the proper way of taking a bath. The only difference was her hair. It felt like it was all gone. She scrubbed her scalp furiously, silently asking herself, _'Where's my hair? Where did it go? Did he really cut off _that _much?'_

When she was finished, she looked at herself in the mirror and gasped. Her hair really was gone. She slowly allowed herself to slide to the tile floor with her hands in her face. What was happening to her all of a sudden? Why were things changing so quickly? Just a few moments ago, she had such long, long hair… and now… it was so short.

'_How could I let him cut it all off? How am I supposed to hide now?'_ She began to sob quietly. _'I can't hide any more!' _Her tear filled eyes widened. _'Not only that, but he _kissed_ me too!'_

She rubbed her arms, feeling even dirtier than before she bathed.


	5. Guest of Honour

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** (July 7, 2010) _Hi! Long time no update! I'm back, after 5 years, to try and complete some of my furuba fics (mainly this one and "With Arms Wide Open"). I won't blabber too much here so you can get started on the fic and read more of my author's notes at the bottom. Enjoy and sorry for not updating in 5 years!_

_Oh, and how about that chapter 131 from the manga? The one about the Juunishi banquet? EXCELLENT, ne? (you'll see why I mentioned this later...)_

**Chapter 4**

**Seihin  
(Guest of Honour)**

Ayame stayed until lunch time. He would have stayed all day, but the idea crossed his mind that Akiten will need some new clothes, so he decided that he, the Magnificent Ayame, would make Akiten clothes worthy of the Princess that she is. Akiten, however, felt like crawling into a hole. She was now terrified of the white haired man and what he might do to her.

"Furthermore, Gure-ni," Ayame declared loudly, "Aki-chuu will need something decent to wear at the funeral tomorrow! I will not just stand by and see Akito-san's only daughter wearing those tattered rags! How could I possibly be in the presence of Yuki-kun, knowing that I could have done something more for the child! Yuki-kun would be so disappointed in me!"

"Aaya, don't worry so much," Shigure said, although he was mildly amused, "or you'll give yourself grey hairs."

"Gure-ni!" Ayame gasped. "Don't say such terrible things or they might come true!"

Akiten sat quietly at the table, poking her chopsticks into the now cold take-out rice they had ordered for lunch. She had wrapped the black scarf Hatori gave her around her head again, but quickly grew tired of Ayame's speeches and his very presence exhausted her. He had taken her measurements as soon as she finished her bath (with her entire head wrapped up in the towel, much to Ayame's displeasure because he wanted to see her face now that her hair was no longer a tattered mess or a grease-ball). He had wanted to give her bangs too, but Akiten ran and hid in the closet until Ayame promised he would not cut them. Shigure managed to convince him that he could give her bangs another time. "Give her eyes a chance to adjust to light first, Aaya," he said. Only then, did Akiten emerge from the closet.

"Gochisou-sama deshita. Shitsureishimasu," she said quietly, thanking Shigure for the meal and excusing herself from the table. She stood up and retreated to her bedroom to rest from all the commotion that took place within the past few hours.

With Akiten absent, Ayame's energy fell and he became more thoughtful and serious. Shigure fell silent too, reflecting on everything that had happened in the last few hours.

"Gure-ni," Ayame began after a few moments of silence, "how much do you think she knows? About us, I mean?"

"Maa ne," Shigure said, still watching the doorway in which Akiten had left. "I don't know. She seems to know who we are on first contact, but to what extent, I have no idea."

Ayame watched Shigure more closely for a minute while he was in deep thought. "What about you, Gure-ni?" he asked. "How are you dealing with all... this?"

Shigure scratched his head, thinking for a moment. "It's hard to say," he replied. "I guess I'm still not quite over the shock. I mean, at this time yesterday, I didn't know Akiten existed. I didn't know I was a father. Akito died and... despite all the things that happened between her and I... I still..."

Ayame nodded, not needing Shigure to finish his sentence. "We all carried a deep connection to Akito, but your feelings for her were always much greater than the rest of us," he said. "Just try your best. I get the feeling that she is a clever girl, no doubt with many secrets hidden away in her heart. I am sure she will understand. Give her time, ne?"

Shigure agreed silently. He knew Akiten would need time to get used to her new life with him. Even he needed some time to get used to all the new changes taking place. He felt a deep urge to make up for lost time with Akiten, and guilty for what he had done to Akito, guilty for not being there in Akiten's life as she grew up, and guilty for not knowing that she even existed until the previous day. He had never felt so guilty before as he did now. He wasn't entirely sure how to manage these feelings.

"Gure-ni," Ayame's voice broke into Shigures thoughts. "You can't change what has happened in the past, but you _can_ change what happens in the present." Shigure watched his friend as he spoke, flicking back a wisp of white hair. "Akiten is blossoming into a young woman now, and needs guidance now more than ever on her path." He smiled with a twinkle in his eyes. "Welcome to fatherhood, Gure-san."

** X**

Akiten woke with a start, breathing hard. She had fallen asleep, hidden deep within the shadows under her bed. She could hear the creaking of the floorboards just beyond the bed-skirt. She could sense it was Shigure there, probably looking for her. She just wanted to be left alone.

"Aki-chan? Are you in here?"

_Thank god he didn't call me by the other nickname,_ she thought with a sigh.

Shigure lifted the bed-skirt and peered in. "Won't you spend some time with your old man?"

She shifted uneasily. "Is Hebi-san gone?" she asked. She thought he had left, but she wanted to make sure first.

"Aaya? Yes, he left," Shigure replied with a slightly amused smile.

She crawled out from under the bed (putting on the sleeping eye mask that was resting on top of her bed) and sat down on the bed's edge.

Shigure noticed that she was sitting on her hands, but decided not to draw attention to it. She seemed to curl up, and it made her appear even more fragile. So much like her mother...

Shigure swallowed and push the thought of Akito from his mind as he sat down beside her on the bed. But before he could speak, Akiten asked, "Did you love her? My mother, I mean."

Taken aback, he blinked forcefully and composed himself. "Yes," he said. "I... I may have said things and done things to have hurt her... to... to distance myself from her..."

"Why?"

He pursed his lips, looking forward rather than at Akiten.

"Because you're weak?"

He turned and stared at her now. He could feel her eyes on him, even though she wore the sleeping eye mask. "Because I didn't want to get hurt," he answered.

"From what?"

He shook his head. He had said too much and didn't want to talk anymore about it. "You're too young. You wouldn't understand."

She knew that was just an excuse to get out of admitting his feelings to her. She reached her hand out, and found his knee. She rested her hand on his knee and found her answer. In her mind, she saw images of a man, who looked similar to Shigure, but younger, and the bird of the Juunishi. Her eyes widened when she recognized him. There was jealousy, anger and hurt feelings surrounding this man. She felt a weakness, much like a child's, present in his heart, a hindrance to trust others completely...

While she used her gift since birth to find her answers through touch, Shigure mistook this gesture as a sign of sympathy and comfort. He didn't know what to do when he found her hand on his knee. He swallowed and placed his hand on top of hers, giving it a very gentle squeeze for reassurance.

A sudden image of Akito flashed into Akiten's mind, and she quickly withdrew her hand and the image disappeared. She wasn't sure if it was her mind playing tricks on her, but more likely than not, Shigure was now thinking about Akito.

Akiten had never been close to her mother. On the contrary, she hardly knew her, having had very little exposure to her mother. She had spent some time in Akito's presence, but the two of them hardly spoke to each other. Akito was usually resting. It made no difference to Akiten whether Shigure still had feelings for her or not... but it made her feel better to know that she came into this world as a result of love between two people... whether they loved each other forever or not. Akiten felt some relief knowing that her father really did love her mother at the time she was conceived. Maybe Shigure won't be such a bad person to live with? Maybe he might even... love... her?

Shigure frowned when she quickly withdrew her hand. Had he startled her? Or was there more about this child that he didn't know? More mental or emotional scars somewhere that made her flinch from his touch? He suddenly had the urge to know more about her. What did she like to eat? What did she like to do in her free time? Did she like to read?

_One step at a time,_ he reminded himself, taking a deep breath to clear his mind. "What would you like to do now?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "Rest. I'm very tired."

Shigure nodded understandingly. All of these changes must be over-whelming and exhausting for her. She was, after all, still a child. Her mother just died. She just moved in with her estranged father, who didn't even know she existed. She met Ayame, who can be exhausting for anyone who didn't know him. The prospect of starting a new life can be daunting for anyone. He still didn't know much about her past, what sort of life she had lived up until that point, but he knew he had all the time in the world now to find out. So there was no point in pressing the matter before she was ready to share it.

"Do you want me to get you when it's time to eat dinner?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I'll come down if I want to," she told him.

Shigure tried not to let this rejection get to him, so he said "Okay" and left her alone.

Besides, there were still funeral preparations to make after all.

He sighed, allowing his thoughts to linger on Akito once more before he called Hatori to see if there was anything he could do to help.

** X**

Akiten was laying at the base of a mountain with the valley sprawled out before her. She knew she was dreaming because the sun was shining on her pale white skin and her eyes were unaffected by its blindingly bright rays.

_So this is what it must feel like to be normal, _she thought, relaxing contentedly as a gentle breeze blew the grass around her.

She noticed an orange cat approaching her, shyly. She sat up suddenly, startling the cat and causing him to flinch.

"I'm sorry," she told him. "I didn't mean to scare you."

She slowly extended her white hand for the cat to smell. He sniffed it and started rubbing up against it, purring loudly. She watched him with her head tilted to one side. His looked at her and their eyes held for a moment.

"Wait... aren't you the cat I saw outside my bedroom window this morning?" she asked, talking out-loud more to herself than anything.

She rested her hand on top of his head, trying to search him, but her gift held no powers in her dreamworld. But she didn't need her gift here anyway.

"Yes," he replied. "That was me in your world. In this world, we can all come together and attend the banquet everyday."

She was puzzled. What did he mean?

"Come," the cat said. "You are invited to come too. Everyone will be arriving shortly."

He started off up the mountain, where, if she shielded her eyes from the sunlight, she could see a small house at the top of the mountain. "There?" she asked him.

"Yes," he replied. "Come."

So she followed after him up the mountain. As they climbed the mountain together, she could see other animals climbing the mountain behind them: a rat, an ox, a tiger, a rabbit, and more followed. There were a dozen of them.

"The Juunishi?" she wondered out-loud.

The cat kept climbing and Akiten followed. Seeing as this was a dream, she didn't tire like she would have in real life. They climbed higher and higher. Akiten stopped periodically to look behind her. A dragon, a snake, a horse, a ram. Every time she looked back, she saw the rest of the Juunishi following. A monkey, a bird, a dog, a pig. All twelve of them behind her and the cat.

When she reached the top of the mountain, the cat waited for her at the door of the little house. Akiten peered inside, but couldn't see anything in the darkness within.

"Come in," a voice from inside said.

Akiten couldn't tell if it was the voice of a man or a woman, but she entered and the cat followed behind her. Soon the other animals arrived and they all entered after each other and sat around the room in a big circle.

"What is this?" Akiten asked.

"Why, my little Tenshi, this is the banquet," the voice from within answered. "And you," God appeared from behind a screen separator, "are our honoured guest."

Akiten gasped as the room suddenly filled with the heavenly glow of hundreds of candles burning around the room. It was intimidating as well as inviting. Plates of food and cups of sake appeared before every animal that sat around the room. Greetings were exchanged and God went around to each of the animals, petted their heads and kissed them before God reached Akiten. God had long flowing white hair and wore a heavy white kimono with silver threads throughout that made it almost shimmer in the glow of the candles. Moreover, there was a white glow that surrounded God, and this glow made it impossible to get a clear view of God's face. Akiten could not be certain if God was smiling or not, but the vibes she felt were pleasant ones, so she felt there was nothing to be afraid of.

"My little Angel, I am so glad you have come to join us," God said, extending a hand. Akiten took it and as soon as she did, she transformed, dressed in a kimono identical to the one God wore, minus the silver threading that made God glisten. God led Akiten to the head of the banquet circle and motioned for her to have a seat on God's right hand side.

Akiten didn't know what to say or do. While the animals all ate and chatted with God, Akiten sat silently and watched. This was one of the strangest dreams she had ever had and the banquet lasted for hours. All of the animals and God were having a grand time and Akiten was beginning to wonder when she would wake up, or what the purpose of this dream even was.

The cat sat on God's left-hand side, beside the rat, and noticed that Akiten hadn't said a word, hadn't moved and hadn't touched her food at all. "What's wrong, Tenshi-san?" he asked.

"I don't understand..." Akiten answered hesitantly.

The cat turned to God and said, "My Lord God, our honoured guest does not understand."

God turned to Akiten, and she felt reassurance radiate from God's look. "My dear little Angel, you will come to know your place among us in time, as we all do. For now, enjoy yourself at my banquet."

"My place?" Akiten puzzled. "But what is my place? What is so special about me?"

"When you leave the banquet and return to the Mortal World, you will take the place of your mother," God answered.

"You were chosen to be the new God figure there," the cat explained. "You will reign over the humans who carry our spirits from one mortal life to the next. You will over-see their lives, make all of their major life choices, and see to it that our promise with God carries onto the next generation of Juunishi."

God held out a small bowl of sake to Akiten. "Take a drink from this and you will return to the Mortal World," God told her.

Akiten accepted the small bowl, feeling she had no other choice. If this would wake her up, then fine.

As she began to drink, God announced to her and all of the Juunishi present, "By accepting this drink, Akiten will inherit my role in the Mortal World and you will all obey her and love her as you do me. She will inherit everything I know and keep our promise alive forever."

"Yes our Lord God," the animals all said at once.

Akiten's eyes began to blur and droop, as though she were falling asleep. God helped to lay her gently down on her side. When she closed her eyes, she saw Akito's face and heard God say, "It is done."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_So, yeah. I'm back, and I'm going to try and complete some of my furuba fics (mainly this one and "With Arms Wide Open") and start another one soon afterwards at some point (probably after I finish "With Arms Wide Open"-WAWO). _

_I own ALL of the manga now (all 23 volumes of it) LOVE IT! XD So I will probably make a few references to some of the chapters/events that took place in the manga in this story._


	6. New God

**Author's Note (May 8, 2013):** I know I haven't updated in a while… But I do want to finish this one-day! Even if it takes me ten years! I just love little Akiten so much! I can't abandon her! T_T Enjoy!

**Chapter 5**

**The New God**

Akiten was shaken abruptly from her slumber in the wee morning hours.

"What have you done?"

The intensity in Shigure's voice made her shrink back from his rough hands. What was he talking about? She was sleeping. What could she have possibly done that deserved to be shaken forcefully awake?

He pulled the eye mask from her face and she squinted back into his wide eyes. The sun was barely over the horizon and cast an orange glow through the window of her room and heightened the dark circles under his eyes.

"Do you have any idea what you have just done?" he demanded vehemently.

She whimpered from the lingering growl that escaped from his lips. He realized that he wasn't helping the matter at all and released her as he cleared his throat. _Calm down,_ he told himself as he pulled away from her. He pushed his fear and anger into his gut and tried to ask her again more softly. "Do you know what role and responsibilities you have just accepted?"

She blinked back at him in confusion. Her vision was clearing and she found that the light wasn't bothering her eyes. She could see him so much clearer than she had before. Much more than the human eye was ever capable of seeing in fact. She looked into his eyes and could see into his soul. It was a swirling mass of confusion, worry, anxiety, despair… and remorse. There was more there, but she tore her gaze away, her eyes growing larger as the secrets spilt forth through Shigure's tears.

"It wasn't just a dream…" she uttered in shock. "I am…"

Shigure pulled her into his arms and buried his head into her shoulder. He was crying the same way he had when Akito was born… but this time it was different. This time it was his daughter, whom he hardly knew but was now bound to in more than one way. The emotions were over-powering for him and he didn't know what to do or what to think or what to say. It was all just too much for him to take in and he began to shake uncontrollably.

_How can this be?_

**X**

Hatori hung up the phone after speaking briefly with Shigure. He too had the dream and woke up crying. He sighed worriedly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes swiftly. There was no denying that Akiten was somehow offered the role and accepted it, perhaps without even understanding what was taking place. There was no going back now. God had chosen her. What's done was done. All that remained now was how to handle it.

A gentle rapping on his door announced the presence of someone outside. Wondering whom it could be so early in the morning—especially when he had cancelled the appointments that were scheduled for the day—he opened the door to a pale, young Sohma woman.

She wrung her hands together nervously, her eyes glancing in brief intervals from him to the ground under her feet. "Sumimasen Hatori-sama…" she apologized in a quiet and timid voice. It had been a few years since the last time she saw their family doctor when she had a bad case of the flu. He was more handsome than she could recall. He was always a little off-putting, but she was very distraught and didn't know what else to do. "I hope I'm not intruding on anything…?"

Hatori shook his head slightly. "I don't have any appointments scheduled for today." It was at this time that he would normally be checking Akito's health. With new concerns on his mind regarding God, he still was not able to sleep in a little.

She nodded her head without meeting his eyes, still wringing her hands together. Hatori beckoned her inside. The morning air was a bit nippy and he didn't want her to catch a small chill. He asked her to have a seat on one of his chairs in the living room while he made her some hot tea. He returned a few minutes later with a steaming cup of green tea and handed it to her before asking her what the purpose was for her unexpected visit.

She stumbled over her words, not quite sure of how to describe it. Hatori nodded his head as she spoke, turning her words over in his mind as he thought about what she was describing. His eyes widened when she reached the conclusion of her tale. If what she described to him was the truth (and he had no doubt that she would be telling anything but), then there was only one possible answer…

"Hatori-sama?" she asked almost on the verge of tears. "I'm very scared! I-I don't understand what's wrong with me! Am I dying?"

Hatori couldn't shake the thoughts out of his head. She had described blood… lots of blood… _Could it have been…_

He looked at her reassuringly, although sadly at the same time. "I'm sorry Akane-san," he said gently, "but I believe you had a miscarriage."

…_God?_

**X**

Ayame arrived around ten o'clock that morning.

"Gure-san! I came as quickly as I could! Is it true? Is she our…"

"God? Yes Aaya, it seems to be that way," Shigure replied. He couldn't bring himself to look his closest friend in the eyes. He was still struggling with the mish-mash of emotions flowing over him.

Ayame brought with him a new outfit for Akiten to wear to her mother's funeral that afternoon. It was a simple design that he thought she might like. It was a black kimono with a few small silvery-white and blue flowers and petals flittering around. There was a thin silver trim on the bottom of the kimono and on the edge of the sleeves. The obi was solid black. He had wanted to make a little dress for her, but given the situation, he called in a favour from his silk provider for the simplest black kimono he had in a child's size first thing that morning.

"I wish I could stay longer Gure-ni, but I must pick up Yuki-kun from the airport. He'll be landing in thirty minutes and time is ticking!" he declared, brushing his long hair over his shoulder. "Please give Aki-chuu a little kiss for me, will you? I will see you later at noon."

"But of course Aaya," Shigure answered, holding the kimono in one hand and the door in the other.

Ayame winked before trotting off.

Shigure sighed as he closed the door. He felt like an old man in that moment. He felt an emptiness in his stomach, and although he hadn't eaten anything for breakfast that morning, he couldn't bring himself to eat anything either. He looked at the kimono in his hands and knew that he should get Akiten ready for the funeral.

He went upstairs and rapped lightly on Akiten's bedroom door. When he got no answer, he slowly opened the door and peaked inside. His daughter had fallen back asleep, this time without the blanket over her head. She looked so peaceful with her pale white skin glowing in the sunlight and her black hair cascading across her face in gentle wisps. She reminded him so much of Akito in her younger years. The thought gripped his heart tightly and he blinked back the tears that began to sting his eyes.

"Aki-chan," he whispered as he gently nudged her. He didn't know how she could have fallen back asleep after discovering that she was the new God, but somehow she did. He certainly won't be sleeping well over the next few days, that was for sure!

She moaned a little, her eyebrows drawing together. "More sleep…"

A slight grin pulled the corners of his mouth up a little. She was definitely his daughter. "Well, unfortunately you can't sleep all day. We have a funeral to go to."

"But… but… we have lots of time… more sleep…" she groaned, turning over so that her back was facing him and pulling the blanket over her head.

Shigure shook his head. "Sorry kiddo, we have to leave in an hour. That means you have to be showered, beautified via Ayame, and dressed."

She immediately pulled back against the wall, her eyes wide open, at the mention of Ayame touching her. "No! Not him!"

Shigure chuckled. "Maa maa… jodan desu. I'm just joking. Ayame was here though, but he just dropped off your kimono to wear to the funeral."

Akiten sighed with relief; her heartbeat started to slow down after being unexpectedly kicked in her chest. Her grey eyes glanced at the black silk Shigure had placed at the foot of her bed. A kimono? For her? She reached out and touched the soft fabric that shimmered under her fingertips in the sunlight. Her eyes grew larger, that something so pretty _was for her_.

Shigure took this opportunity to draw Akiten to him and gently kiss her forehead. "From Aaya oji-san."

She was still staring at the kimono in awe that she hardly even noticed the kiss. This was the nicest gift she had ever received… even if it did come from that crazy lunatic.

"Come on," Shigure said abruptly, "let's get you showered and dressed."

"Again?" she grunted as Shigure took her hand and hauled her out of bed. She had never been washed two days in a row before. Wasn't she clean enough still?

"We must be cleansed and purified for the funeral," Shigure told her. "Don't worry. A quick shower is all you will need."

He led her into the washroom and started the shower for her so that it had a chance to warm up. He showed her how to turn it off when she was done. He didn't have any nice shampoo for her (he only had a manly scented one), but he figured since she washed her hair yesterday, that getting it wet would be enough. He told her just to rub some soap on herself, rinse, and hop out. At least his little bar of soap wasn't a manly scent…

He left her in the bathroom and hurried downstairs to get changed and warm up some leftover rice and milk for her to eat for breakfast. Akiten joined him about five minutes later in the kitchen wearing her dirty rags. He lowered the newspaper he had been reading and scowled that such material should touch her skin. No matter, once she was done breakfast he would get her dressed. He was all ready to go himself. He wore black dress pants with a white shirt. He had the black jacket and tie hanging up by the front door for him to grab on their way out.

He patted her cushion at the kotatsu (low table) and she eyed the steaming bowl of white goo. "I… I'm not very hungry."

Shigure blinked dumbly. "Oh? But we have a big day ahead of us. You'll want something in your belly."

Akiten tilted her head to the side slightly.

Shigure nodded his head, knowing that she wouldn't know anything about what takes place at funerals. "Have a seat and I'll tell you all about it."

She bit her lower lip, but did as she was told. She still did not feel like eating… and the "porridge" didn't look very appetizing as well.

"The Sohma family has two gravesites. One is here in town, not too far from the Honke that you grew up in—where we all grew up in," he explained as a smile slowly began to spread across his face. "But we Juunishi have another burial site—just for us. And it's in a very special, sacred place."

"Where is it?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

Shigure's grin grew broader. "Fuji-san."

"Fuji-san?" She didn't understand. Who was Fuji-san?

Shigure's grin slowly dissipated. She didn't know what Fuji-san was? But a new idea popped into his head, and he gave her a small smile. "You'll see. Now eat."

She looked down at the lumpy goo in front of her. She never had breakfast before… and looking at it didn't encourage her appetite either. Nevertheless, to please her father, she picked up her spoon and dipped it into the milky white slop. She noticed there was some brown stuff mixed in it. Was it supposed to have brown stuff in it? She noticed Shigure watching her closely. He didn't poison it, did he? She shook her head gently to clear it of crazy thoughts and lifted the spoon to her mouth.

"How is it?" Shigure asked as she chewed a little and swallowed.

"Not bad. A little sweet," she replied, dipping her spoon into the bowl for some more.

He nodded with a little smile. "I added some brown sugar. Kids like their sweets."

She shrugged. She never had any sweets before, and she had eaten worse things than this. Like a good girl, she ate as much as she could (which was only half of the bowl) while Shigure told her the plan for the day.

They would drive to the Buddhist temple near the Sohma Estate that would perform the funeral and cremation. The entire Sohma family was invited to those services. After the cremation, and Akito's bones and ashes were collected in jars, they would go to the gravesite. Only the Juunishi members and their immediate "non-Juunishi" family members would be allowed to go to the gravesite specifically chosen for the Juunishi—which was at Fuji-san.

"So we have a long and busy day ahead of us," Shigure concluded.

She nodded, starting to feel nervous. She sat on her hands and chewed on her bottom lip as she stared at her rice porridge. "What am I supposed to do?" she wondered out-loud. Although she was just a child—and Akito's daughter—she was also God now. Wouldn't she have an important role to play in… _something_? She could feel a weight being placed on her shoulders with the prospect of having a very important responsibly at the temple. But she didn't know what traditions and ceremonies would take place. What if she messed up? What if she looked foolish in front of the Juunishi?

She went from living an isolated and neglected childhood, to suddenly being one of the most important figures in the family in a matter of days. It was over-whelming.

Shigure put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Whatever you want Aki-chan. You can do whatever you want. You can participate in some of the ceremonies and I will help you. If you don't want to do anything, then that is fine too. We will understand. It's not easy to be in your position. Okay?"

Swallowing, she nodded her head. Why was he being so nice to her? What did he want from her? Surely he wasn't always kind and understanding… She looked into his eyes for her answers. But what she found was exactly what he displayed.

Was this what they called _love_?

His eyes clouded over with concern as he touched her cheek gently. "Why are you crying? Don't cry. Everything will be okay, I promise," he said soothingly.

Her eyes widened and she quickly lowered her gaze as her teardrops fell onto her lap. Could he read her too? Would he know all of her secrets like she knew his? She couldn't risk it. She didn't want her father to know… Maybe he would change his mind about her? She didn't want to go back… Not now… Not _ever_.

It was time to get ready.

Akiten didn't know how to put on a kimono. Shigure told her that he would help her as soon as she put the white undergarment on first. He looked a little flustered as even he struggled to figure it out.

"Hmm… Maybe I should consult the Internet on how to tie this thing…" he murmured under his breath.

Akiten sighed in boredom as he tugged away at it. When he seemed satisfied, he asked her to turn around so he could see her better. She struggled to turn, as the kimono was more constricting of her movements than she anticipated. She looked at him in puzzlement and looking for approval. He smiled broadly back at her.

"Well, I'm not sure if I did it right, but you look really cute Aki-chan."

There was sadness behind his eyes and a fleeting image of Akito as a young girl in a kimono appeared in her mind. She felt her face grow hot and she quickly looked at her feet. He missed her, she knew. Did she look that much like Akito?

She didn't have time to think too much because Shigure was getting up and guiding her towards the door of her room. "Well, we better get going. I want to stop somewhere before the funeral starts," he told her.

She followed stiffly behind him. "How do I walk in this thing?" she asked. As much as she loved the kimono, she hated it at the same time. She had never worn clothes that were so restricting. She didn't like it.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "Baby steps," he said. "Follow me." He scooted ahead putting one foot just slightly ahead of the other. "Hands together in front of you. Stand up straight and look forward. Your gaze should be parallel to the ground." He did exactly what he told her to do as an example as they walked down the hallway.

He looked like a fool.

Hopefully she looked better than that.

They shuffled down the hallway and (carefully down the) stairs to the front door. He grabbed his black suit jacket and put the loop of the tie around his neck, but left it hanging loose. He was about to put his shoes on when he noticed the ugly little thonged sandals that Akiten stepped into.

Those had to go. Now.

_Shameful,_ he thought to himself as he put his shoes on. He tried not to let his disgust show through on his face though. "What do you think?" he asked her as he opened the door for her to walk out. "Should we go and buy some traditional shoes to complete your outfit?"

"Shoes?" she replied weakly, glancing at her feet. Upon looking at her shoes, which were too small for her feet now, she thought they didn't look nice with her pretty black kimono.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Shigure said suddenly, "Oh, I almost forgot your sunglasses! I'll go get them." He hurried off.

She looked outside and her mouth fell open.

Not only could she see clearly without the bright sunlight bothering her eyes, but the sky was also a gorgeous blue colour, dotted with a few small puffy white clouds. The grass was lush and green. The leaves on the trees on Shigure's property were a vibrant green against their brownish-grey bark. She looked up at the sun—but Shigure's hand quickly clasped over her eyes.

"Don't look directly at it," he warned. "Don't want to hurt yourself now, do you?" There was a hint of humour in his voice.

"The light doesn't bother me now," she said looking up at him as he slid the sunglasses on her face. "I don't understand."

He scratched the back of his head, but even he didn't know why either. Was it possible that her sensitivity to light was corrected since she became God? It was the only possible explanation.

Akiten read his eyes and his conclusions met with her suspicions. If that was the case, then she was thankful for at least one good change to have occurred.

They got in the car and drove off. The temple wasn't too far, but he wanted to stop at a little shop first. Akiten looked out her window at the houses and shops flying by. She could never bring herself to look outside before, but now that she could, she could see just how big and fascinating the world was.

Shigure parked the car in front of a little shop that had the windows blocked with thick dark curtains. He helped Akiten out of the car and, with her hand in his, guided her into the shop.

"Iresshaimase!"

The voice caught Akiten by surprise and she quickly turned and buried her face in Shigure's stomach, clinging to him. He laughed lightly and greeted the middle-aged shopkeeper (who began gushing over how cute Akiten looked).

"Oh isn't she just precious! Oh how cute! She certainly takes after her father, ne?"

"Maybe a little," Shigure smiled back politely as he tried to coax Akiten to turn around and face the woman. She whimpered slightly in protest, feeling very shy, but she turned and kept her head lowered. "She needs some proper footwear. I was thinking zori, but I would like for her to see geta and okobo too."

"Certainly. Please follow me," she said as she turned and led them to the right corner of the store where all the traditional shoes were displayed.

Akiten's eyes wandered around the store. The curtains blocked out the sunlight (to preserve the beauty and colours of the kimono and other silks inside from fading), but it was still well lit. She stared wide-eyed at the colourful silks at the back of the store that came in all shades of colours with elaborate beautiful designs.

"I would recommend a pair of white tabi—since so much of her outfit is black—with black thongs. What size is she?"

Shigure blinked uncertainly. "I'm not sure…"

"No problem. We'll try on some sizes," she replied as she sifted through the traditional white ankle-high socks.

Shigure motioned for Akiten to sit down on the seat provided. The woman quickly moved in front of Akiten and began putting the strange-looking socks on her feet. The second pair fit better than the first, so she left them on and then, now knowing her size, went to the different kinds of shoes.

"Have you tried on any of the traditional shoes before, dear?" the woman asked Akiten gently.

Akiten shook her head as she looked at all the awkward-looking shoes on the shelves. The woman selected the thick wooden wedge shoe and brought it before Akiten. "This is called an _okobo_," she said as she gently slipped the shoes onto her feet. "The apprentices of Geishas, called Maiko, wear these. Think you'd like to be a Geisha someday? There, stand up and try walking in them."

Akiten didn't know what a geisha or maiko was, but she gave the woman a look as if to say, '_You're crazy!_' when she had the shoes on, but did as she was asked. She got to her feet but was too scared to walk in them. She could feel her face growing hot with embarrassment. She didn't like being stared at. She didn't like the shoes. She didn't want to try walking in them because she was terrified that she would fall and that would be even more embarrassing. She looked to Shigure pitifully, willing him to let her take them off immediately.

Was he… was he_ laughing at her_? Her eyes clouded over as she began to glare at him.

He couldn't help it. She just looked so cute and the pitiful look she gave him was too irresistible. Too adorable. How could he not laugh? Even he agreed that the shoes were ridiculous, but he still wanted to see her in them.

"She… She hates them," he stuttered as he struggled to contain his laughter.

"Oh?" The shopkeeper had the audacity to look surprised. "Do you want me to get the zori now or the geta?"

"The geta… just for curiosity's sake," Shigure grinned.

Akiten had a bad feeling about this.

She sat back down as the woman looked for the next pair of shoes in Akiten's size. When she pulled them out, Akiten thought they still looked weird with their little half-inch tall 'teeth' protruding out from the bottom… but anything would have been better than the first pair. The woman slipped them onto her feet and Akiten got to her feet and managed to walk a few steps… but they still felt heavy and awkward. She prayed that the next pair of shoes, the ones that Shigure seemed most interested in, would be more comfortable.

"Now," the woman said, "we only have a couple of different styles of zori for little girls. Would you be interested in something more traditional, or more modern?"

Although Shigure would have preferred something more traditional… he wanted her to feel comfortable. "Well, she'll be standing for a number of hours, so I want something that she can feel good and comfortable in. Something that she can wear for other special and formal occasions as well would be ideal."

She nodded and went off in search of the shoes.

Akiten gave Shigure a pouty look. She wanted to leave, he knew. "We'll be finished here soon," he told her. "I'm going to need you to be extra patient today, okay?"

Akiten nodded when the woman returned with a pair of white-heeled zori with black thongs. "These zori are a simple, though classic design with the added benefit of support and comfort for our little princesses," she said as she presented them to Shigure and Akiten.

Shigure nodded in approval and she went to put them on Akiten's feet.

Akiten looked at her feet before standing up, thinking how foreign her feet looked to her, but liked these shoes much better than the previous ones for sure. She got to her feet and started to walk around the store. It was so much easier than the previous shoes.

The woman got up quickly and went to fetch a long mirror so Akiten could see how she looked with her new zori.

Akiten could not believe that the girl looking back at her was her own reflection. She had seen her reflection in the bathroom mirrors with her hair in a long tangled mess at Hatori's and cut short and wet in Shigure's. But seeing her now with her short black hair, black kimono and zori shoes, she looked like a princess from a picture book and not the forgotten and ignored child hidden away in a small dark room…

A crack appeared in the mirror and began to grow. Akiten quickly looked away.

The woman untied Akiten's obi ("Who did this? This is incorrect!"), and tied it properly. Shigure apologized for his inability to tie her obi, but the woman understood. He paid for the shoes and they left.

Shigure wanted to make one more stop, but feared that they would no longer have time for it. "Maybe later," he mumbled under his breath.

He turned the car towards the temple. Family members would be arriving soon because they had to be early for preparations. Shigure parked the car and turned back to her. He looked a little nervous, but Akiten could see the lump forming in his throat and the building sadness in his eyes. "Ready?"

Akito flashed in her mind again and she glanced out the window. _Ready as I'll ever be, I guess._

It was time for her to present herself to the Juunishi and watch as her mother's body turned to ashes.

* * *

**Author's Note: **All of our favourite Sohma characters will be present in the next chapter. How have their lives changed over the last ten years? How will they respond to their new God? Shigure still has to work on his role as "father" which is sure to bring some laughs as the story progresses (as well as tender moments... *sighs*)

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and the story thus far. Thanks!


	7. Introducing God - Funeral Part 1

**Author's Note (May 15, 2013):** Hope you enjoy this instalment of 'ShugoTenshi' with all of your favourite Sohma characters!

**Chapter 6**

**Introducing God – Funeral Part 1**

Shigure tightened the tie that still hung loosely around his neck before he got out and held his hand out to Akiten. She took a deep breath, reached for his hand, and stepped out of the vehicle. She held on tightly to his hand as her eyes gazed up at the temple in awe. It was beautiful. She had never seen anything like it. None of the homes or shops compared to the elegant style and architecture of the temple.

Shigure saw her eyes light up as she took in the sight of the temple before them. The section that held funeral services was located on the far side of the temple grounds, but upon seeing the awestruck look in her eyes, he knew that he had to let her walk around the temple grounds and gardens for a little bit first.

"Do you want to wear your sunglasses?" he asked her, reaching into the car where she had left them sitting on the seat.

She didn't respond. He pocketed them just in case.

Catching her hand again, he stepped forward and she followed silently, her eyes were wide-open as she took in every nook and cranny of the temple. The cherry blossoms on the property were in full bloom, attracting many locals and tourists to view their soft petals and smell their delicate fragrance in the air. Shigure watched her closely as she took in every sight. He found her wonder and curiosity endearing and he couldn't help but smile. From the uniquely designed stone pathways underfoot to the tips of the highest treetops, her eyes marvelled at how nature wove itself into a scene from a dream. A gold shape flickered in the corner of her eye and she turned to see a koi fish bobbing his head near he surface of the pond. Intrigued, she turned and walked to the edge of the pond where she could see other koi fish swimming lazily around in the water.

"Shigure-niisan! There you are!"

Shigure turned and saw his cousin, Sohma Ritsu, running towards him. He was dressed in a solid black kimono instead of his usual colourful one. He looked tired, but relieved to find his cousin.

"Please forgive my intrusive questions, but I was surprised that you, of all people, weren't at the wake!" Ritsu said once he reached Shigure's side and brushing his long brown hair from his face. "I always thought you, Hatori-niisan and Kureno-niisan were closest to Akito-san than the rest of us. While I understand with Hatori-niisan's busy life that attending the wake would be difficult, if not impossible, but… forgive me for asking… but where have you been?"

Shigure gave Ritsu a reassuring smile as he felt Akiten clutch his jacket from behind. "It's no intrusion at all, Ri-chan," Shigure replied. "Something unexpected came up, and I acquired a new and important responsibility. Ha-san agreed that it was best that I take care of other important matters instead of attending the wake."

Ritsu nodded his head, although still wondering what Shigure's other obligations could be that were more important than attending the wake of their God figure, when he suddenly spotted Akiten peering out from behind Shigure.

Akiten held his gaze momentarily. His eyes told her everything she needed to know and she could feel her heart beginning to swell for the first time. She knew he was the monkey of the Juunishi, but she didn't understand why she felt drawn to him. He was technically a stranger because she had never met him before, but upon looking into his eyes, she felt like she had known him his whole life. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but at the same time, she felt shy.

Ritsu broke eye contact and looked at Shigure with incredulity. "Shi-Shigure-niisan… is she… is she…?" Ritsu stumbled over his words as he tried to grasp the sensations of meeting her for the first time.

"Hai, she is our God," Shigure replied calmly, glancing down at Akiten over his shoulder.

"OH! FORGIVE ME! I DIDN'T KNOW! I'M SUCH A DISGRACE! HOW WAS I NOT AWARE OF THIS SOONER!? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE FORGIVE ME!"

His wail made Akiten jump, but instead of hiding behind Shigure, she found herself flying past her father and wrapping her arms around Ritsu's waist. She looked up into his eyes with conflicting emotions. "Please!" she begged him urgently, though softly.

His eyes widened in shock as he looked down at her. She was crying. Why was she crying?

"Please?" she asked again in a whisper. She didn't know what else to say, but his eyes moistened and she knew that somehow he understood. She buried her face in his kimono momentarily as her trembling subsided. What overcame her? She didn't know and didn't understand. But somehow in the exchange of their gazes, they understood each other.

Shigure stood stunned, flabbergasted even. He had never seen someone subdue Ritsu so quickly—not even Tohru-kun, who had a place in everyone's hearts. Moreover, the exchange between his daughter and Ritsu was so brief, but packed a powerful punch. He didn't need someone to explain what passed between the two—that would remain between God and her beloved Juunishi.

Would all of Akiten's encounters with the other Juunishi members be like this?

He only wished now that she could have met everyone at a different time. A day for mourning seemed inappropriate.

"Please excuse my rudeness, Shigure-niisan…" Ritsu murmured finally as Akiten loosened her hold on the man, "but… do you mind if…"

"Not at all, Ri-chan," Shigure replied with a gentle, encouraging smile. "I should go help with preparations anyway, but I know Aki-chan would love to see more of the gardens."

Ritsu nodded and Akiten took his hand, drawing Ritsu's gaze back to her as they turned to look back at the koi fish in the pond. "Ri-chan," she said, using the name she had heard Shigure say, "my name's Akiten. I like your kimono…"

As the two of them shared a private moment together in the garden, Shigure ambled over to the funeral hall in deep thought. Akiten seemed to be changing rapidly as the day wore on from the girl he had first laid eyes on in Akito's room. He worried that she would become overwhelmed… and then what? He had no idea what she would do when that happened. Would she lash out like Akito would have? Or would she just get tired and grumpy like a normal child? He wished he could take her place, if only for today.

Everything was coming together nicely when he arrived at the funeral hall. The last of the flowers were being placed around Akito's name and photo on the altar. Half of his Juunishi cousins had arrived already. It would appear that they were still waiting for Ayame and Yuki, Isuzu and Haru, and Hatori. Ritsu, of course, was still outside with Akiten. The younger cousins, Kagura, Momiji, Hiro and Kisa, were conversing as they were putting the final touches on the flower arrangements. Kureno was talking to a man in a suit, who must have been the funeral director or one of the staff members of the hall.

Kagura turned upon seeing Shigure arrive out of the corner of her eye and went to the entrance to greet him. "Hi Shi-chan. It's been a while. How have you been doing?" She gave him a small smile.

Shigure closed his eyes momentarily as he tapped his index finger on his lips. Should he tell her about Akiten now, or let her find out later? "Hmm… I'm currently at a writer's block at the moment. Since Akito-san's death, I haven't thought much about my novel either. I have far too much on my mind these days."

Kagura nodded. "I read your latest book, Shi-chan. It seems… much darker than your previous works… Is everything okay?"

"Well, you know how it is, Kagura-chan. I'm a lonely bachelor living on my own away from my family. Shunned by Akito-san and unable to have relations with other women…" he explained good-naturedly like he would have in his younger years, but he slowed down, feeling the pain return to his heart. "But… it's been harder than usual these past few days since Akito-san left us. I was with her when she died, you know."

Kagura looked confused. "She?"

"Shigure, where is she?"

Both Shigure and Kagura turned to see Hatori entering the hall. He was looking around at everyone present and concern pressed his brows together when he didn't see Akiten.

"Ha-san! So good to see you!" Shigure gushed. "Why, they haven't brought Akito-san in yet!"

"You know fully well that I'm not asking about Akito's whereabouts."

"My oh my, you brought some cold air in with you too, Ha-san!"

"Don't you have any dignity? This is Akito's funeral, have some self-control and respect," Hatori said icily.

"Ha-san is always so heartless!" Shigure complained childishly, but pulled himself together. He saw Kagura watching the two men from the corner of his eyes. He sighed and brushed his hair back with his hand. "We ran into Ritsu in the gardens. She's with him now."

Hatori raised an eyebrow. "She's… outside?"

Shigure nodded. "I can't explain it, Ha-san. It's like she's become a completely different person since this morning. I mean, she subdued Ritsu's outburst with merely a look! A look! Even Tohru-kun couldn't do that—and she was one of the first people to ever get through to Ritsu and calm him down!"

"Don't talk about her," a voice from the entrance snapped abruptly.

Shigure and Kagura turned to look at the newcomer as he scowled. "Kyo-kun…" The words escaped Kagura's lips before she could catch them and she blushed brightly and lowered her gaze.

Shigure raised an eyebrow at Hatori, who shrugged. "I brought him. I thought it was appropriate for him to get out for a while and stretch his legs. I figured Akito's death should be the only exception."

Kazuma came up behind Kyo and put a hand on his shoulder. A tender look hovered on his face and Shigure felt a twist of guilt inside. While Kazuma adopted Kyo and loved him like a son, Shigure felt like he was less worthy in the man's presence. After all, it wasn't until a few days ago that he had discovered that he even had a child of his own and had unknowingly abandoned her in the first thirteen years of her life… years that he'll never get back.

"Hey! Kyon-kyon's here!" Momiji's voice carried over the hall, bright and cheerful as ever, causing not only Kyo and Hatori to scowl, but also Hiro.

"This is a solemn event. Don't be so loud!" Hiro grumbled harshly as Momiji went to greet the small gathering of Juunishi at the entrance. Hiro and Kisa followed and soon they were all gathered together in the entrance.

Shigure pulled Hatori aside so they could talk more privately.

"I mean it, Ha-san," Shigure whispered, glancing at the entrance in anticipation for Akiten and Ritsu to arrive at any moment. "She's changed dramatically. I think it's because she became our new god-figure. The transformation has changed her. You'll see. When you first make eye contact with her, you'll feel it. She's not Akiten anymore…"

Hatori saw how concerned it was making Shigure. For Akiten's sake, he hoped it was a good change, but at the same time… what were the long-term effects? Would she grow sickly and ill-tempered and die young like her mother?

Hatori could see the anxiety building in Shigure as the minutes ticked by and his daughter had not walked in yet. "Maybe I should go out and bring her in…" he wondered out-loud.

Hatori placed a reassuring hand on Shigure's shoulder and shook his head. "Let her come in when she's ready. Would you feel more at ease if we waited for her right by the door as we welcome friends and family in?"

Shigure nodded, and together they went to the entrance as Ayame and Yuki arrived. Yuki looked smart and sophisticated in his black suit, and he looked around excitedly, as if he was looking for someone in particular.

"Is it true?" Yuki asked Shigure in anticipation. "Is _she_ really here?"

Shigure looked to Ayame for a hint and Ayame just winked in response. He felt too tired now though. Ayame entered the hall and greeted all of his younger cousins enthusiastically while Yuki stayed with Shigure and Hatori. The two older men couldn't conceal the sadness in their eyes at the mention of _her_. Tohru.

"What exactly did Ayame tell you? Hatori asked.

Yuki studied their faces as he tried to determine what to make of the things his older brother told him. "That there would be a special guest at Akito's funeral."

"Well, we do have a special guest… but it's not who you think it is," Hatori replied.

The disappointment in Yuki's face spoke volumes, but he quickly tried to cover it up. "I guess I should have expected as much…"

"Now, now Yuki-kun, she is just as special as Tohru-kun," Shigure declared proudly, "and if Tohru-kun were here she would agree."

"Not just a wee bit biased, are we Shigure?" Hatori mumbled as he looked out the door. "Ah, here she comes now with Ritsu."

Shigure felt a wave of relief as Ritsu opened the door for Akiten to step in. Her eyes lit up when she saw Hatori and she hurried to greet him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she looked up at him, almost like adoration. Shigure noticed the flash of shock in Hatori's eyes upon making eye contact, followed by a brief look of sadness before he smiled at her with love. Did Shigure notice a hint of mist in Hatori's emotionless orbs?

Akiten looked troubled for a moment as her smile turned into a slight pout, her eyes searching Hatori's briefly. Was she about to cry again? Instead, she nodded and turned away.

Yuki stared at her, almost as if in horror. Perhaps it was because she looked like a reincarnation of Akito during the most troubling years of Yuki's childhood, or maybe it was because she bounced in and embraced Hatori without him transforming. Whatever past through his mind caught Akiten's gaze and she froze in place, her grey eyes meeting with his dark grey ones. She saw his intense pain and fear in Akito, which brought about her own dark, haunting memories at the Sohma Estate in the same dark room. As she projected her own identical pains and fears onto him, they both began to cry. She wanted to run someplace safe, far away from the darkness that came clawing back through her with its razor sharp nails. But just when she felt like her feet would give underneath her, her heart surge forward with such force that she, again, flung herself into him.

"Gomen!" The cry erupted from her lips, not knowing why, of all things to say upon first meeting him, it had to be an apology. "Gomen nasai!"

Yuki lowered himself to his knees and pulled Akiten tightly to him. He understood. He understood everything because he saw the same reflection in her eyes of himself. But the love of God for her Juunishi pulled them together, to seek comfort in each other's arms, to love and support each other through good and bad… the way it was always meant to be. And God wanted to apologize for all the wrong that she had committed in the past.

There was hope. And it came in the form of a small, malnourished girl, born from the womb of God and offering both spirit and child a second chance.

Yuki pulled back and brushed her hair from her unnaturally large eyes. "So you're the one that I dreamed about on the plane this morning," he said softly to her. "I'm very happy to meet you."

Akiten swallowed, her ivory cheeks taking on a hint of pink. She fought back more tears that threatened to cascade down her cheeks. She was aware of the changes taking place within her as well and it was scary and intimidating. As much as she wanted to hide from the world, she felt compelled to move and act within it. So far, she encountered so much pain and suffering… much of it connecting to her mother in differing ways. She didn't know how to approach it. She had always fled and cried in the past, but now she felt incapable of doing so. Every time she gazed into a new member of the Juunishi's eyes, she found more pain and suffering in which to carry in her heart. At times, it felt as though it was too much to bear and she might collapse, but then she would feel her spirit reaching out with love and connecting with the other's spirit and both of them could at last find peace in their hearts, if only momentarily.

Over-come with so many mixed emotions, she suddenly began to sway, her legs feeling shaky under the immense pressure now placed on her shoulders. Hatori was the first to notice as her face became flushed.

"Shigure, go sit her down some place private—now," he ordered. He turned to Akiten as she reached to clasp her father's hand for support. His voice was gentle and a pitch higher than normal for him. "Let me get you something to drink, ne?"

She nodded her head, beginning to feel weak and tired. "Un. Arigatou," she replied faintly as Shigure turned her toward the hall.

"Let's go someplace quiet and relax, ne Aki-chan?" Shigure suggested coolly, although inwardly, he was secretly worried. He managed to whisk her away into the funeral director's office without his younger cousins catching him. They all seemed to be preoccupied by Kyo's presence. Shigure was very grateful for that, even though he knew Kyo was probably getting frustrated. He whispered a silent prayer of thanks to Kyo in passing.

Ritsu and Yuki peered into the office. They had followed Shigure and Akiten out of curiosity and concern.

"Is everything okay?" Yuki asked.

"I'm so sorry Akiten-chan," Ritsu apologized nervously. "I didn't mean to… to…"

"Iie, iie, daijoubu," Akiten assured them, feeling her face grow hot with embarrassment. "I'm okay. I'm just…" She didn't know how to explain all of the emotions bearing down on her.

"Over-whelmed, ne?" Shigure filled in tenderly.

Akiten guessed that was the right word as Yuki and Ritsu squeezed into the small office. She shifted in her chair, keeping her head lowered and feeling awkward under all of their gazes. "Un. First I'm shy, then scared, then happy and…" She squeezed her eyes shut as tears began to gather. "I'm always crying! Am I happy or sad? Is it possible to be both at the same time?"

"Mochiron," Shigure said, putting a reassuring hand on her small, bony shoulder. "Of course."

She gripped her chair tightly, still hanging her head, and not wanting to look anyone else in the eyes. She could feel Shigure's presence pressing into her through his touch and she wanted to push him out, but his presence was one of comfort. She found herself leaning into him, feeling the warmth of his love as his heartbeat matched with hers in a steady uplifting rhythm.

Yuki moved to kneel in front of her, the director's desk merely inches behind him. "Akiten-chan," he said gently, his voice floating over her in waves of encouragement, "life is full of leaps and bounds. Don't be afraid to stop and take baby steps, or stop and smell the flowers when life runs faster than you can keep up. It's better to clear your head and to relax instead of pushing yourself to a breaking point or getting upset. We Juunishi have to be careful. Our bodies are weaker than normal human bodies and we have a secret to keep. So if you ever feel over-whelmed, don't be afraid to take some time for yourself. We'll understand and support you. Okay?"

Akiten nodded, but didn't dare to look into Yuki's eyes again in fear of returning to those memories that still haunted both of them. She couldn't face them right now.

"You are our most precious person, and we are very glad to have you with us now," Yuki added but Akiten didn't want to hear it.

If she was so precious to them now, then why not before? Why not when she needed them most? Why not when she was lost in a sea of darkness and nothingness for years and years? Why only now that she was God? She wanted to cry out for the discrimination she felt. Why was _God_ accepted and loved and not _Akiten_?

She could feel herself starting to shake, when Hatori opened the door to the office. "There you are," he said aloofly. "Yuki, Ritsu, could you both leave us alone for a moment please?"

Yuki and Ritsu nodded their heads in unison and left without another word. Hatori closed the door gently behind them. He could see Akiten shaking and Shigure had this concerned and helpless look on his face. Hatori quickly moved and kneeled in front of her, much like Yuki had done just moments before. He could see that she was upset. He knew better than to let her get worked up. He took her hands together in his like a prayer. "Calm down, Akiten," he said calmly, though sternly. "Look at me."

"No!" she snapped, pulling her hands out of his and sitting on them. "I can't look at you anymore! All I see now in your eyes are your secrets… all of your pains and troubles… I don't want to see anymore of it!"

He looked surprised and he glanced up at Shigure quickly to see the shock in his face as well. She could see all of their secrets now?

"Then at least calm down," he said. He held out a juice box for her. "Here, drink this. It will make you feel better."

"Why do you care now, huh?" she cried bitterly, squeezing her eyes tightly shut and curling closer into herself. "Why? Because I'm _God_? Is that the only reason you care about me now? What about _me_? What about _Akiten_? Why does no one care about me as _me_?"

"Shigure," Hatori ordered firmly, "hold her."

Shigure was caught by surprise. "What?"

"Do it!" Hatori hissed.

Shigure wasn't sure how he was supposed to hold her. Why the sharp tone in Hatori's voice all of a sudden? Akiten was shaking like a leaf and about to curl up into herself. He reached for her and pulled her against him in his arms, holding her skeletal body tightly against his heart.

She cried out and struggled to escape, but Shigure held on tautly.

"Listen to your father's heartbeat Akiten," Hatori commanded, grabbing her flailing arms and pushing her back against Shigure's chest. "You share the same heartbeat. Your blood comes from him. You are a part of Shigure now. And he will never abandon you, do you hear me?"

Akiten sniffled as she began to calm down and cry against her father, hearing the steady drumming of his heart against her ear.

"Your mother's first mistake was to conceal you and not tell him about you. That was her final mistake leading up to her death. But she corrected it and he is with you now. He needs you now more than he ever did before. You—not God—_You_. Listen as the blood you share pumps through his heart. He is alive and holding you, wanting to correct all the wrongs of the past… wanting to love you. Love you as Akiten, his daughter and his life."

She was limp in Shigure's arms as silent tears trailed down her cheeks. That was all she wanted after all. To be accepted and loved for who she was.

Shigure stared up at Hatori in confused bewilderment as Hatori pulled himself into a standing position. His bones groaned in protest. "_Is she okay?_" he mouthed silently to Hatori, afraid to disturb the child in his arms.

Hatori nodded tiredly. He handed Shigure the juice box and told him to let her rest for a few minutes until she calmed down and then let her drink the juice. He left and closed the door behind him, rubbing his face with his hand.

Akito was famous for her angry fits of rage… but they were nothing compared to Akiten's when she got upset. And now was not the time for her to reveal those _particular skills_ in front of everyone.

No, she needed to stay calm and learn to control them… lest they take over her mind and bring about her own destruction…

* * *

**Author's Note:** So… a little bit of darkness there. Okay, I lied… I know, I know, Haru and Rin weren't there, but they will be in the next chapter. They're running late (Haru got lost… haha!) Kyo will have a bigger part in the future too. No worries! The next few chapters will have more of the Sohma characters.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! **Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	8. Last Look at God - Funeral Part 2

**Author's Note: (May 21, 2013)** I worked really hard on this chapter! So I hope you appreciate it! (There are notes at the bottom to explain some cultural things for extra clarity.) The title of this chapter translates into "Last Look at God" but I was also trying to also communicate "Goodbye/Farewell to God" at the same time. "Mi osame" translates into "last look; farewell look". Either way, this is goodbye to Akito.

Remember in the manga when Shigure tells Akito that he doesn't like to share? His possessiveness will kick in in this chapter. Hehehe. Enjoy!

**Chapter 7**

**Kami no Mi Osame – Last Look at God (****Funeral Part 2)**

Shigure was deeply disturbed by everything that took place in that small office. Disturbed and confused. He had never seen Hatori look so scared in his life. What happened between him and Akiten? For a moment there, he felt this strange vibe radiate off her before Hatori managed to calm her down. He didn't understand any of it. Furthermore, he felt this all-new sense of fear and protectiveness of Akiten.

He held her a little longer, like Hatori commanded, but he also felt this strong _urge_ to hold her… like he _needed_ to hold her. He could feel her negative energies draining away slowly, slipping down her cheeks in clear salty droplets. He shifted slightly so he could cradle her small frail body better. He brushed her hair back soothingly and, closing his eyes, softly touched the top of her head with his lips. It felt bittersweet to him. Here he was cradling his skeleton of a child as she struggled with her own mysterious inner demons and he, wanting to chase away all of her bad dreams, struggled with the loss of the woman he most cared about.

Raising a daughter will be a lot harder than he anticipated.

After some time had passed, she sniffled and pulled away from him. She mumbled something about being thirsty so Shigure handed her the juice box Hatori had given him before.

"All better now?" he asked as she sipped the sweet drink.

She nodded, but didn't want to look him in the eye. This time he understood why.

He cleared his throat and stood up from his seat. "I'm going to see how things are progressing out there. I'll be right back, okay? You just relax and drink your juice."

He had to find Hatori and squeeze some information out of the dragon.

He left the office and closed the door behind him gently. The hall was beginning to fill with guests, both Sohma and friends of the family, and he didn't want to draw any attention to himself, or the office. He weaved through the crowds, searching for his serious friend. He found him standing with Ayame, looking as though he was trying to keep himself together.

Ayame spotted Shigure before Hatori and he beckoned him over with his hand. As much as Shigure loved his cousin, he didn't want to deal with him at that moment… as was evident on Hatori's face as well. Shigure still smiled exuberantly to Ayame, but once he was close enough to speak softly to them, he asked if Ayame didn't mind if he stole Hatori for a moment. Ayame pouted, but thought better than to kick up a fuss.

"Aki-chuu?" was all he asked for confirmation.

Shigure nodded and pulled Hatori aside to a private corner. Hatori knew what Shigure was after, but he had too much of a headache already, and he didn't want to have to deal with anything else.

"Look Shigure, I don't want to discuss this right now."

"Don't even think about trying to sneak out of this now without giving me some answers," Shigure growled under his breath. "Now tell me what the heck that was all about in there!"

Hatori pinched the bridge of his nose to try and ease his headache a little. "I don't know. To be honest, I don't know much of anything at this point in time right now."

"Bullshit," Shigure snapped as quietly as he could. He didn't want to create a scene after all. He watched the guests mingling around, expressing their condolences for Akito's passing to the Juunishi members and other Sohma family members. "You obviously know something that I don't, and I want to know what it is."

"What can I say, Shigure? That when she was born, those of us that knew about her knew that she was not a normal child? And how _can_ she be normal? She's the daughter of God for heaven's sake! I'm sure you being the other half has something to do with it too, but I haven't come across any records of a child ever being born from God before," Hatori hissed.

Shigure was silent as he contemplated Hatori's words. Hatori rubbed his temple again and sighed. "I don't know what she's capable of. But she is definitely _gifted_… if you want to look at it that way."

Shigure narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "How so and in what way?"

"Shit Shigure, you think I know the answers to everything?" Hatori shot back, turning his back to the guests and stepping close so that he could whisper over his shoulder into Shigure's ear. "I told you, I don't know. I look at her mother and see how destructive her temper was, I don't even want to imagine how self-destructive Akiten might be. She has some kind of _power_… I don't know what it is yet because I fear what harm she's capable of doing if she's ever allowed to get out of control. Why do you think she was confined for so much of her life?"

Shigure met Hatori's eyes then and shivered.

So there was something more sinister at work here after all.

Shigure cursed under his breath. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I was afraid you would turn her away," Hatori said darkly.

It was like a smack in his face. Would he have turned Akiten away had he known that she had a unique… gift? Was that what Ren was alluding to the other day? His heart sank as Hatori's words sunk in. He had been nothing but irresponsible in the past, and now he couldn't afford to keep following down that same path.

Seeing that his words had gotten through, Hatori's icy look melted a little and he broke eye contact with Shigure. "What she really needs is a normal upbringing and a way to learn how to handle her abilities. Now that she's God, I don't know what kind of a 'normal' upbringing she will get," Hatori sighed and glanced at his feet briefly. "What she needs is a father… someone to love and accept her for who she is and to guide her on her path into womanhood. Not to… not to lock her up in a small dark room…"

Shigure swallowed and lowered his gaze to the floor. He began to pace a few steps back and forth as he took everything in. "So you think she was about to… about to have _an episode_ in there?"

Hatori nodded, his face emotionless. "She was already overwhelmed. That's why I asked that she be moved to someplace more private. I don't know what happened before I entered the office, but something upset her and was about to set her off. I could feel the energy and see how she was shaking…"

Shigure cursed again, running his hand through his hair. What would have happened if Hatori hadn't come in when he did and calmed her down? What upset her? He would have to be more careful with what he said to her… he might trigger something in her and set her off. And then what would happen?

"I suggest that we keep her in the office until the funeral starts," Hatori concluded with a sigh. "The less exposure she has to people she doesn't know, the better. When the funeral is about to start, she should have had enough time to fully cool down. Then you can bring her out and have her sit down with the rest of us in the front row. I'll save you both seats off to the side."

Shigure nodded silently. He excused himself and headed back towards the office. His mind was now filled with troubled thoughts about his daughter. There was more mystery around her now than he ever thought possible. There was something profoundly disturbing about her, but did he dare to find out what that _something_ was?

He nodded at his younger cousins, who looked curious as to what he was up to, but he hurried off before they might pursue him further.

He was about to knock on the office door when it swung open and the director stepped out. Shigure looked over his shoulder and saw Kureno sitting with Akiten.

His blood began to boil.

"Ah, Sohma-san! I have been looking for you! My condolences to you and your daughter over your wife's passing."

_My wife? Who told him that?_ Shigure thought in heated confusion, but just nodded his head stiffly.

"Everything is ready to go. We will bring your wife out in about thirty minutes and begin the services. Does that sound good to you?"

Shigure nodded, trying hard not to grunt at him. He just wanted to get inside the office and get _that man_ away from his daughter. "Could you excuse me for a moment? Thank you," he said, pushing past the director and closing the door behind him roughly. He might have come off a little rude to the director, but he didn't care.

Kureno looked surprised when Shigure entered, glaring at him. "What are you doing here?" Shigure demanded gruffly. He was referring to Kureno interacting with Akiten within the privacy of the director's office.

Akiten's eyes widened when she saw the anger and hatred flash in her father's eyes. "Shigure, it's okay," she said, getting up from her seat and stepping towards Shigure with outstretched hands. She latched onto his jacket and tugged on it to get him to break his death glare and look at her.

He exhaled, nostrils flaring, as he turned his attention to his daughter.

"It's okay," she said again. "I know Kureno-san. I have seen him a few times before at the Honke."

Shigure's eyes widened. _He_ had seen her _a few times_… before _him_? She was _his_ daughter! How could this _tramp_ know about his daughter and meet his daughter before him? Where was the justice? He gritted his teeth.

"Don't be upset," Akiten pleaded with large puppy-dog eyes. "He's always been very nice to me…"

Enough was enough. "Get out Kureno," he grunted. He couldn't stand him in that moment. It was one thing when Akito chose Kureno over him… but he couldn't have Akiten too.

Akiten lowered her eyes, still clutching the hem of his jacket with both hands. Her face felt hot with embarrassment. Had she done something wrong?

She felt Kureno brush passed them as he murmured, "Sorry for the intrusion, Shigure-san." She squeezed her eyes shut. An image of Mistress hissing and raising her hand flashed in her mind. Would Shigure hit her too?

She waited. When nothing immediately came, she touched his hand and pictured calming things and pushed them through her touch. She could hear him slow his breathing as his heartbeat relaxed before he pulled away to loosen his tie around his neck.

"I hate these things…" he muttered to himself. "Like a damn choke chain…"

Akiten exhaled in relief. She saw no intention in him of striking her and she managed to calm him down. She felt tired. She turned and went back to sit down on her chair. She watched Shigure stand there, looking uncertain, yet distracted.

"How long have you known Kureno?" he asked.

She recognized the guilty look on his face, but not the jealousy that flickered behind his eyes. She shrugged, feeling self-conscious. "I don't know… a while."

Shigure didn't like that answer.

She looked down at her hands on her lap. "I first saw him a long time ago with Akito. I was too young then to know anything about the Juunishi. But I ran into him again maybe five years ago."

Shigure raised an eyebrow.

"Or rather, to be more accurate… he found me," she added, touching the petals embroidered on the lap of her kimono with her fingertips. "He was looking for something… I don't know what it was… and he found me hidden in that dark room."

Shigure tilted his head quizzically. _Dark room…? The same dark room that Hatori mentioned?_ But he became more concerned when she clamped her eyes shut.

"Akito was furious with me…" _and beat me so hard…_ she added silently to herself. She clutched her hands tightly together in her lap, her nails digging into her skin.

Shigure's brows pulled together. "Why was she furious with you?" What was the big deal?

"Because…" she bit her lip hesitantly. "Because I'm not supposed to exist…" _I wasn't supposed to be seen by anyone. I was to remain hidden… invisible… just a shadow among shadows…_

Shigure was stunned. He didn't know what to say. Sure, she had been a mistake… but that was hardly her fault! It was his own fault for not keeping it in his pants with Akito. Not to mention the mistakes that came after it… Did Akito really mean to keep her life a secret forever?

What kind of a life…?

What had changed her mind before her death?

Shigure stepped in front of her. She kept her head down and immediately sat on her hands.

"But you do exist," he told her softly. He wanted to reassure her… to take away all the monsters that haunted her soul. "And I wish I had known sooner so I could have been there for you…" _So I could have given you a better life… one that you deserve… one that was worth _living…

He watched as a renegade teardrop fell onto her lap. Then another. And another. He pulled her into his arms as she began to cry softly.

"I'm so sorry, Aki-chan," he whispered, feeling his eyes well with moisture. "I'm so sorry." _Please forgive me._

_Please._

**X**

After about half an hour, the director came to the office to tell Shigure that the ceremony would begin. Shigure nodded and tighten the loosened tie around his neck. He made a choking face at Akiten as he did so, in hopes of making her smile… even if it was just a little. He succeeded.

She took the hand that he held out to her and she followed him out of the office. The number of people who had gathered astonished her. She had never seen so many faces at once. Most of them had already taken their seats, but there were still more filling the spaces in the back rows. How was it possible that her mother knew so many people?

A few people noticed her walking behind Shigure and holding his hand. She felt a wave of emotions wash over her as she glimpsed the eyes of several people looking at her. She turned her gaze to the floor and could feel Shigure's anxiety building within him and spreading through her hand and up her arm.

_Let go,_ she whispered in her mind as she loosened her hold on his hand. He responded by releasing her. She sighed and relaxed a little. With no physical contact to him now, she could focus her energies on herself and the building of her invisible protective wall around her. She would need it.

She followed Shigure to the front row, where there were two empty seats on the end next to Hatori. She sighed with relief as Hatori nodded curtly to them. He looked tired. Shigure motioned for her to sit next to Hatori and he would sit on the end. She hesitated briefly, but obeyed and sat down. She put her hands together in her lap and focused her attention on them and her reflective barrier.

The service began minutes later after Akito's body had been carried in and carefully placed amongst the white flowers next to the altar. The coffin was richly decorated in a dark, almost black, stained wood with golden designs carved into the sides. Akiten stole a quick glimpse of her mother's body, before looking away. She could feel the cold, emptiness of death floating around it. It made her uncomfortable. She noticed Shigure staring at it with a straight face, but his eyes betrayed him. They were pooling with grief. It bothered her to see him look like that, but she didn't understand why, so she instead turned her attention back to her hands and deep breathing.

Shigure struggled to keep himself together as soon as he glimpsed her. She was dressed in a white kimono. Her deathly white skin had been dusted with rosy shades of powder on her cheeks and eyelids. Her jet-black hair was delicately brushed away from her face. He heard the hushed murmurings of confusion and shock among his younger cousins sitting further down. It had never been revealed to them before of Akito's true gender. They must have missed the wake as well.

A chiming sound from the back of the hall announced the start of the ososhiki (funeral ceremony). The gathering of mourners was hushed as three Buddhist priests walked down the aisle. They were dressed in exquisite kimonos that glittered in the fluorescent light. They took their places at the front of the room with their backs to the mourners. With everyone's attention on the priests now, Akiten took the opportunity to watch them as well with curiosity.

The middle priest sat on a little stool while the other two sat on black cushions with their backs straight. They sat with their legs folded in front of them, much like the statues Akiten saw outside in the garden.

The readings from the sutras began, their voices reverberating around the room. Akiten's eyes widened at how clear and close their words were… as if they were sitting right next to her and not twenty feet away. The three of them were chanting together, almost like singing a song that went on and on without stopping for air (which they did in fact, stop for air, but each priest stopped at different times so as not to break the flow of the sutras). Akiten didn't understand a word they were saying—it was like a foreign language to her—and she leaned forward in her seat, straining her ears for the odd words that she could understand. Their voices flowed together in a gentle lull that made Akiten sigh with peace and eventually lean back in her seat, listening to just the sounds rather than the strange words and the mysteries that they held. She closed her eyes as the ceremony progressed, the harmony soothing her anxiety away.

After about 45 minutes, the singing stopped.

Akiten opened her eyes lazily as the director stepped to the front of the altar and began to read a series of messages from those who were unable to attend the funeral. Akiten quickly grew bored after the tenth message and let her imagination wander to the flowers and casket in front of her as he droned on. She didn't know the names of any of the flowers, but they all had many layers of white petals that fanned out in a circle from the centre. She noticed a small bowl of rice with chopsticks standing vertically up from the middle that she hadn't observed before. She thought that was odd, but did not question it.

The director kept reading message after message, and Akiten began to wonder how many messages there were and how much longer it would take. She began to feel drowsy.

'_See how loved I am? So many people have come to see me one last time.'_

Akiten jumped awake, fully alert now. Had she fallen asleep? She must have… she could still hear Akito's voice whispering in the back of her mind.

Her sudden jerk caught Shigure's attention and he tilted his head in puzzlement. She blushed in response, and returned to staring at her hands in her lap.

Thankfully, the reading of the telegrams reached its conclusion and the director called Kureno up to say a few words and to thank everyone present for their support and generosity. Shigure was secretly thankful that it wasn't him standing up there. Although he was very eloquent at book tours, he knew that he would struggle to hold back his emotions here. He just hung his head until Kureno called him and Akiten up as Akito's _husband_ and daughter.

Panic engulfed Akiten as all eyes turned to her and Shigure. Shigure was calm as he took her by the shoulders and led her forward, shielding her as best as he could with his body until they were front and centre next to Kureno at the podium.

She kept her eyes down and clenched them shut when Shigure stopped and turned her to face all of the guests. "Bow low," he whispered to her as he stepped next to her and bowed to everyone present. She bowed, somewhat clumsily, as he did, and when she pulled herself back up, her face was flushed. She immediately turned her back and reached for him. She clung to him, burying her face into his jacket for support and shelter from the onslaught of stares.

Murmurs from the guests whispered about how traumatic this must be for the poor child, even though none of them had known that Akiten even existed. But it was the murmurings of disbelief from the Juunishi that pulled at her soul the hardest. For those who had not met her yet, they were shocked at first into silence and then driven to ask amongst themselves if it was true. Not only had Akito been secretly a woman, but also had a daughter with Shigure? Their shock flooded over her and she could feel herself being pulled down under their crashing emotions.

Ren was called up next. Akiten squeezed Shigure tighter, and she could feel Shigure tense up as well. He gripped her shoulders tightly as the woman stepped forward and dabbed her dry eyes with a handkerchief theatrically. Akiten could feel a low, almost silent rumble of a growl within Shigure's chest. A wave of protectiveness engulfed her, and it offered her some strength—if only to help her regain her focus.

_Deep breaths._

The Juunishi were called up in order of year, starting with Yuki, then Haru, all the way to Kagura and finishing with Kyo. One by one, they stepped up and bowed their heads low. Akiten didn't know what was going on, but Shigure told her later that it was the family's way of thanking the guests for coming.

Then came the Nobe no Okuri (final visit with the deceased). A staff member brought out a tray of white flowers as a pair of other staff members wheeled the coffin forward on the stretcher it had been placed on during the ceremony.

Akiten was still clutching tightly to Shigure when the staff member with the tray of flowers stepped up to them. "Please select one and place it inside with your loved one," he directed.

Shigure nodded and rubbed Akiten's shoulders encouragingly. She pried herself away from him, avoiding eye contact with anyone, and reached for one of the flowers. She watched how Shigure picked one up by the green stem and mirrored his movements. She then followed closely on his heel to her mother.

Shigure gazed down at Akito's face. They had done a great job with her makeup and beautifying her otherwise sunken features. Lying there in the shimmering silk, she looked better than she had over the last year. How long she had suffered… the thought gripped his heart. And he had treated her no better. If he had been kinder… gentler… would she have lived longer? Would she have lived more peacefully?

_I'm sorry, Akiko,_ he thought bitterly to himself. _I should have resisted when you pushed me away. I should have known… should have understood…_

Akiten watched her grief and guilt-ridden father as he stared at her mother with tears in his eyes. His sorrow splashed over her like freezing cold water and she shivered inadvertently, clutching her flower tightly in her hands as goosebumps covered her arms. She waited until he gently placed his flower above Akito's heart before she swiftly placed her own next to his.

She couldn't bring herself to look at her mother. She discovered that death made her nervous. She struggled to breathe as a dark energy pressed down on her shoulders and pulled at the air within her lungs. She had never been this close to death before, staring at it mere inches away... until now. She found that it brought bad feelings and negative emotions that pulled at the roots of her hair.

_Kimochi warui…_ Bad, bad feelings…

She clung to Shigure like a shadow as he walked away from the casket. With every step away, she could feel some of the eerie feelings fading slightly.

Ren stepped up to her daughter next and placed her flower. She paused for only a moment before stepping aside and allowing the other Juunishi members, including Kureno, to place their flowers and their final farewells to Akito.

Within moments, the Juunishi had all said their farewells and the lid to the coffin was closed. The staff took brass mallets and hammered down the nails halfway. Then the director presented Shigure and Akiten with squarish black and grey rocks the size of Shigure's fist.

"Take these. And with them, you will each hammer down on a nail to help put your wife and mother to rest." He handed them the rocks.

Akiten stared at it in her small hand. Was this to make her feel better? To make her feel included in bringing peace to her mother's spirit? Instead of feeling humbled, she felt empowered.

She followed Shigure to the casket and she chose a nail a couple feet down from his. She stared at it as Shigure brought his rock down three times. The sound echoed in the silent room like the banishing of a demon.

She pictured her mother's face as her eyes blurred with tears. She brought the rock down upon the nail—

_For all the times you struck me…_ Bam. _For all the times I couldn't fight back…_ Bam. _For all the times you cursed my existence…_ Bam. _For all the times you made me hate myself… _Bam.

_I hate you!_

* * *

**Author's Note:** *_sniffles_* Aki-chaaaan! *_huggles_*

This turned out a lot longer than I thought! So there were lots of things going on here that you may not know about so hopefully I can break some of it down for you (I had to do research for this… and I had to fill in some blanks, so hopefully I still remained true to the style of Japanese funerals since I have never attended one before). I cut some traditional things out for the sake of simplicity (and Akiten wouldn't understand it anyway). This includes the _kaimyou_ (precept name) and _koden_ (condolence money). Including these would only drag the story on in a bad and unnecessary way…

Since I don't know anything about the "sutras" chanted, I figured they would be chanted in an older tongue, and perhaps in a more traditional/formal way of speaking that Akiten wouldn't have encountered growing up, and thus, wouldn't understand (especially keeping in mind the varying degrees of polite speech in Japanese).

And I couldn't find who reads all the telegrams that come in from people unable to attend funerals, so I just assumed that the director would do it (didn't seem like the role of the priests, but what do I know?)

**Funeral Notes:**

- **bowl of rice with chopsticks standing vertically up from the middle** – this is "food" for the soul of the deceased to eat on his/her journey into the land of the dead (anoyo) – this is why you are never to put your chopsticks standing up in the middle of your food because it is associated with death

- **Nobe no Okuri** – I referred to this as "final visit with the deceased" but my source called it "putting out to pasture" and I don't know if that's a direct translation, or just tongue-in-cheek, but I thought it was too inappropriate and mood-breaking to use hahaha! Akito's not Haru or something! Hehe

So I hope you enjoyed this chapter (even though it's rather dark and angsty…) because I put lots of work and effort into it and the research.

**Please read and review! Domo arigatou gozaimasu!**


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